BORNO SCIENTIST AMONG AFRICA’S TOP 10 MOST-CITED RESEARCHERS
From the quiet town of Askira/Uba in southern Borno State to the global stage of scientific excellence, Dr. Wadzani Dauda Palnam has become a name synonymous with innovation, resilience, and hope.
By Kanempress News
24th June 2025
In a remarkable recognition of academic impact, Dr. Palnam—a molecular plant pathologist and Senior Lecturer at Federal University Gashua, Yobe State—has been ranked among Africa’s Top 10 Most Cited Researchers in Biological and Agricultural Sciences by Elsevier’s SciVal/SCOPUS platform.
With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Palnam’s work in plant–microbe interactions and fungal resistance is shaping the future of food security in Africa and beyond. From using CRISPR to tackle rice diseases, to working with global research powerhouses like UC Davis, Wageningen University, AfricaRice, and South Korea’s KRIBB, his science is both cutting-edge and deeply rooted in real-world agricultural challenges.
But his impact goes far beyond the lab.
As Director of the Academic and Grant Writing Enclave (AGE) and its global network AGES, Dr. Palnam has trained over 23,500 researchers from 153 countries—including nearly 600 professors and over 7,000 PhD holders. In 2024 alone, his mentorship helped secure ₦2.05 billion in research funding for Nigerian scholars through the TETFund National Research Fund.
“His story is one of purpose,” said Dr. Ishaku James Dantata, Head of Agronomy at FUGA. “Beyond citations, it’s about his spirit, mentorship, and commitment to Africa’s scientific future.”
Dr. Palnam’s academic journey began at Government College Maiduguri and continued through Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated with distinction. He later earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Pathology from the prestigious Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
Despite receiving postdoctoral offers from world-class institutions in the U.S., Israel, and Europe, Dr. Palnam chose to return home. “I believe Africa needs its best minds at home,” he once wrote in a widely shared LinkedIn post, where he now inspires over 8,000 followers with accessible science and calls for research-led development.
As a journal editor, curriculum reformer, and mentor of more than 15 postgraduate students, he’s leading not just through discovery, but by example.
Federal University Gashua’s Registrar, Dr. Abubakar Mamuda, praised him as a role model: “His achievements elevate not just our university, but the standard of Nigerian scholarship as a whole.”
Perhaps the most moving tribute came from Hamman Ezekiel Pwana, Legal Adviser at AGE:
“Dr. Palnam is living proof that where you come from does not limit where you can go. He is a beacon for every young African who dares to believe in the power of knowledge.”
In a time when Africa is being called upon to solve local and global crises—from food insecurity to climate change—this son of Borno has risen, not only as a scientist, but as a symbol.
From the Sahel to the world, his voice is loud, his message clear: excellence knows no borders.
