Air Commodore David Olumuyiwa Babalola, a consultant clinical pharmacist in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has achieved an extraordinary milestone in Nigerian pharmacy practice, earning three prestigious honors at the 97th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).

Held from November 4 to 9, 2024, the conference celebrated Babalola’s exceptional contributions with the Biogenerics Integrity Award, the Pfizer Excellence Award, and the Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN).

Babalola was recognized as the best overall public-sector hospital pharmacist in Nigeria, clinching the Biogenerics Integrity Award. This esteemed honor, accompanied by a ₦1,000,000 cash prize, celebrates excellence in patient care, career achievements, innovations, training, research, professional service, philanthropy, and leadership in public hospitals.

Adding to his accolades, he was one of four pharmacists nationwide to receive the Pfizer Excellence Award. This award highlights outstanding contributions to hospital and community pharmacy and includes a ₦250,000 cash prize, a commemorative plaque, and a certificate.

Representatives of Pfizer Nigeria presented the award during the conference’s grand closing banquet at Flairmore Event Centre, Uyo.

This achievement makes history as Babalola becomes the first pharmacist in the Nigerian Armed Forces to win a PSN-sponsored corporate award since its inception nearly two decades ago.

In his acceptance speech, Babalola expressed gratitude to Biogenerics Nigeria Ltd and Pfizer Nigeria for their sponsorship, which he said inspires excellence in hospital pharmacy practice.

He also acknowledged the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal HB Abubakar, for fostering an enabling environment for pharmacists within the NAF and for approving the implementation of the Pharmacists Consultant Cadre in the force.

Babalola’s accolades were further crowned by his conferment with the Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN), the highest honor awarded to pharmacists in the country. This recognition, reserved for individuals who have rendered exemplary and meritorious service, solidifies Babalola’s status as a trailblazer in the field.

As the first pharmacist in the Nigerian Air Force to attain the rank of air commodore, Babalola’s career is marked by groundbreaking achievements.

His latest recognitions underscore his relentless commitment to advancing pharmacy practice in Nigeria and inspiring a new generation of pharmacists.

The investiture ceremony for his FPSN honor is slated for early 2025, promising yet another celebration of his outstanding contributions to the pharmacy profession and the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The post NAF Pharmacist Shines at 97th PSN Conference, Bags Three Prestigious Awards first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post NAF Pharmacist Shines at 97th PSN Conference, Bags Three Prestigious Awards appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Speaking at a stakeholders forum and the training session of the Schools’ Protection Squad, Governor Uba Sani, represented by his Chief of Staff, Sani Kila, emphasised the need for decisive measures to protect schools and children from bandit attacks.

The merger will involve consolidating schools in vulnerable communities with those located in safer areas.

Kila highlighted the significance of the newly launched School Protection Squad, part of the Federal Government’s Safe School Initiative, aimed at safeguarding educational institutions, children, and teachers from various forms of attacks orchestrated by bandits and terrorists.

Acknowledging Kaduna’s relentless battle against banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and other criminal activities, Kila expressed concern over the disruptive impact of non-state actors on socio-economic activities. He underscored the threat these activities pose to the state’s educational revitalisation programme.

The governor’s representative raised alarm over the crisis of declining school enrollment in Kaduna, citing a drastic drop of over 200,000 primary school pupils in the 2022/2023 academic session compared to the previous year.

This decline, he attributed primarily to insecurity, particularly in areas such as Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, where insecurity has forced school consolidation, exacerbating the number of out-of-school children.

Kila stressed the critical role of ensuring the safety and security of schools in achieving human capital development goals and sustainable development.

He lauded the Federal Government for launching the N144.8 billion safe schools financing plan and the establishment of the Schools Protection Squad, aimed at enhancing security and safety in educational institutions nationwide.

In addition to merging schools in conflict-prone areas with safer locations, the Kaduna State government is implementing various measures to strengthen school security, including fencing, establishment of security committees, deployment of vigilance services, provision of emergency lines, and security awareness training for staff and community members.

Kila expressed hope that the capacity-building programme would equip participants with the necessary skills to navigate challenging security situations and foster strategic communication to win the hearts and minds of citizens in conflict-affected communities.

He emphasised the importance of regular engagement between security forces and community leaders to enhance collaboration and trust-building efforts.

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