Nigerian Journalist, Kemi Busari, Wins Global Award

A Nigerian journalist, Kemi Busari, has won the Silver Award for Science Reporting In-Depth category making him the first AAAS Kavli winner from Nigeria since the awards programme went global in 2015.

According to a citation published in the AAAS.org website, Busari did a five-month investigation of a Nigerian man who was posing as a doctor and promoting an herbal concoction with unverified claims of curing malaria and other ills.

Busari arranged for an independent laboratory to test the concoction against a standard anti-malarial drug. It had no effect and lab animals that received high doses of the herbal mix developed severe liver and kidney damage.
Days after the story was published by Dubawa and the Premium Times, the bogus doctor was arrested and distribution of his product halted.

Busari’s award comes with $3,500 cash reward.