South African scientist professor Robert Millar has been awarded the African Union (AU) Kwame Nkrumah award for advancing the field of science and research on the continent.
The awards, which have been running since 1998, form part of the AU Summit and are in memory of Ghana's first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The annual summit brings together heads of state and government from AU member states, AU officials, representatives from partner organisations, as well as diplomatic corps.
Millar received the accolade during the opening ceremony of the 30th AU Summit, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He won in the life and earth sciences category, and will receive $100 000 in prize money.
The South African scientist is internationally recognised for his contributions to the field of neuroendocrinology. He has published in over 400 publications, holds 18 patents and his research has been cited by other academics more than 20 000 times. In 2015, he was elected as president of the International Neuroendocrinology Federation.
Millar serves as director at the Centre for Neuroendocrinology at the University of Pretoria, and as senior research fellow at the University of Cape Town.
President Jacob Zuma congratulated Millar on winning the AU Kwame Nkrumah award.
"The development of science and technology is essential for the improvement of the lives of Africa's people, and this is one area where we need to invest resources and encourage our youth to explore," said Zuma.
"The South African government will continue to provide a conducive environment for research and innovation as one of those areas identified in the National Development Plan."
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