IGNATIUS Akpabio has joined the distinguished and inspirational line of young Nigerians proving that we are some of the best in the world. In a tradition of excellence that is well-earned, Akpabio topped an international faculty of post-graduate scholars to clinch the prestigious British Petroleum (BP) prize for the best project on the course at the School of Computing Science and Digital Media’s annual awards ceremony, 2016, of Robert Gordon University, RGU, Aberdeen, UK.
Akpabio who hails from Akwa Ibom State says this of his outstanding performance: “I feel very excited to have won this prize as I didn’t expect it and I’m very grateful to the best project supervisor anyone can have, Dr Iain Pirie, for being very supportive during the implementation of my MSc project.”
Of the Nigerian dream, he says that is why he is returning home despite offers to stay abroad. For young Akpabio, “Oil and gas being the major source of GDP in Nigeria means that the future of the country might well depend on the sector. I’m a strong proponent of the ‘Nigeria of Tomorrow’ therefore, in every possible way I want to contribute my quota to the development of my country. Coming from an IT background, I would like to use IT to develop and improve the oil and gas sector.”
He was full of appreciation for his lecturers especially Dr David Lonie and Dr Angela Siegel, who made him find “software development very interesting and this enabled me to excel in both modules.”
Akpabio’s exploit is proof that, in the words of Professor Chinua Achebe, what is holding the nation’s development back is leadership. Our people are bright as stars and are proving it in the most competitive international contexts. All that is needed for these young ones is to come home and turn Nigeria into the paradise of our dreams is just the enabling environment. These young achievers come from all corners of this potentially great country. Yes, given the right environment, these young Nigerians will turn our tears into joy.
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