In addition to the Nigerian postcard that I posted previously, here I am showing the stamps that were used:
The first two stamps were part of a special three-series issued by the Nigerian Postal Office in 2005 to commemorate the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunis, Tunisia. WSIS was held to gather information experts and worldwide leaders in one setting to understand the growing information society (as well as the ICTs - Information and Communication Technologies) and to formulate strategies to bridge the digital divide between the developed and developing countries.
Having been involved in a rural ICT project here in Cambodia, I have attended, and took part in a panel discussion, a conference similar to this one. It's actually the Global Knowledge conference (held in Kuala Lumpur, 2007) and there thousands of ICT experts, researchers and development workers gathered to showcase how their respective projects have addressed the issue of digital divide in their countries and how local communities react to these new technologies. The UNDP was there along with other big international organisations and promised assistance (financial or technical) to local, community-based representives, while researchers and development workers (like me) have networked with others for project collaborations. It was such a big gathering, I tell you. But I digress.
The second stamp features one of Nigeria's best in the field of engineering - Professor AWOJOBI Ayodele. Here are some information about Prof. Awojobi that I lifted off the Nigerian Village Square site's tribute to him:
He was in his 30s when he became a professor of engineering at the University of Lagos (Unilag), the youngest ever then, after a First Class B.Sc. from University of London and PhD from Imperial College, London, at the age of 28!
His engineering wizardry saw him singlehandedly converting the driving wheel of a motor vehicle from one side to another when Nigeria changed her road driving laws from left-hand to right-hand. He named it AUTONOV I. Then went further to design AUTONOV II, a bi-directional automobile that can be moved forward and backward without turning it round. Awojobi’s vehicle had two steering, four gears and three seats and, we are told, remain on display in the Unilag Mechanical engineering workshop.
But it is in his passion for and commitment to a better Nigeria that Awojobi towered above all. Like Tai Solarin, and Gani Fawehinmi – crusaders who gave their lives to the cause of a greater Nigeria and humanity as a whole, using all legitimate means (the law courts, protests on the streets) to demand for justice, human rights and good governance. And, as does happen to all those who want “to save the world”, Awojobi died in the process – in 1984 at age 47! Were he alive today, he would be 72.
For the complete write up, please follow this link.
