A specialist surgeon and physician at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Abdullah Hadi  Mohammed has won the prestigious  2019 MT Shokunbi Prize In Neurosurgery in a graduation ceremony held in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

It is named after  Professor Matthew Temitayo Shokunbi, a Nigerian Consultant Neurosurgeon and Professor of Anatomy at the University College Hospital who studied medicine at the University of Ibadan between 1973  and  1978.

 He also had distinctions in Pathology, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology; obtained MSC in Specialist Certificate in Neurosurgery from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada between 1981 and 1986.

Professor underwent fellowship training in Paediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Ottawa in 1994 and proceeded to Japan to train in teratology, molecular and cell neurobiology in 1995 at the National Institute of Genetics, Mishima.

Organized by the West African College of Surgeons, the award is aimed at recognizing the contribution of young surgeons in the West African sub-region.

Dr Abdullah was the only Ghanaian who graduated in Neurosurgery alongside other Ghanaian graduating fellows in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ear, Nose and Throat, among others at a Nigerian-dominated ceremony.

As the only graduating fellow who won a Prize in Neurosurgery, he surprisingly had the best dissertation in Neurosurgery to pass  WACS' fellowship exams at first attempt.

He received the award at a ceremony held at the Abuja International Conference Centre in Nigeria where new fellows  were inducted into the West African College of Surgeons, 

The event, graced by the Sultan of Sokoto highlighted the 60^th anniversary celebration of the prestigious Regional college which has trained several surgeons for West Africa.

Dr Abdullah received the fellowship award from the President of West Africa College of Surgeons, Professor Serigne Magueye  Gueye.