ABU Scholar Wins ASR Prize For ‘Best Africa-Based Doctoral Dissertation’

Dr. Nadir A. Nasidi’s dissertation, ‘A Contextual Analysis of Sufi Saint Paintings in Kano, Nigeria’, has won the 2022 African Studies Review (ASR) Prize for the ‘Best Africa-Based Doctoral Dissertation’. 

The scholar teaches at Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. His PhD thesis in Art History at ABU’s Department of Fine Art, which he defended on 18th August, 2021, was selected for the award for its novel contribution to scholarship and originality. 

Editor-in-Chief, African Studies Review, Banjamin N. Lawrence, wrote Nadir in a letter dated 11th November, 2022 informing him of the prize won by the doctoral dissertation. 

The ASR had, in 2019, created ‘Best Africa-Based Doctoral Dissertation’ award to recognize an Africa-based scholar, who successfully defends a dissertation or doctoral thesis on any aspect of African studies at an African institution of higher education. 

According to the notification letter, all Africa-based scholars enrolled at African institutions, irrespective of language, who successfully defended their theses, were eligible. 

To this end, the ASR will present a certificate recognizing the award, and a $500 e-certificate for e-books from Cambridge University Press to Dr. Nadir. 

The award recipient will, in addition, receive a formal invitation to one of the editors of the editorial team to discuss how to turn his dissertation into an article suitable to the African Studies Review. 

While congratulating the prize recipient, the ASR Editor-in-Chief explained that Nadir’s name and information about his work would also appear in the December issue of the Review. 

In response to Dr. Nadir’s letter informing the Management of Ahmadu Bello University of the ASR Prize he won, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, congratulated him, saying that the “University always takes pride to see its students and staff excel in any given task”.