THE WINNER OF RAHAMON BELLO AWARD FOR THE BEST Ph.D. THESIS IN AFRICAN AND DIASPORA STUDIES 2025

November 26, 2025 Bilqis Alayaki

On Monday, November 24, 2025, the Director, Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos announced the winner of the prestigious Rahamon Bello award. Dr Oluseyi Rotimi Obateru, Lecturer, Department of Geography, University of Ibadan in Oyo, emerged the winner of 2025 Rahamon Bello award for best Ph.D thesis in African and Diaspora Studies. His thesis entitled: “Dynamics of Urban Landscape Structure and its Impact on Ecosystem Services in the Rainforest and Guinea Savanna Ecoregions of Nigeria”. The Ph.D was obtained from the Federal University of Technology Minna in Niger State, Nigeria. Dr. Obateru’s thesis was supervised by Professors Apollonia Okhimamhe, Olutoyin Fashae and Dr Christopher Conrad.

Dr. Tholithemba Nombulelo Shange, from South Africa, emerged as the 1st runner-up for the award. His thesis entitled: “Identity and Environmental Harmony as Practiced by Table Mountain Doctors: A Struggle Over Land and African Healing Systems” obtained from the University of the Free State, South Africa.

The 2nd runner-up, Dr. Abdullahi Babagana is a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in Kaduna State, Nigeria. His thesis entitled: “Analysis of Terrorist Attack Places in Maiduguri, Nigeria.” obtained from the department of Urban and Regional Planning, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, investigates how Maiduguri’s urban form, street network and place-based attributes, contribute to terrorist target selection and attack concentration, providing spatial intelligence crucial for urban resilience and proactive planning.