A Nigerian archaeologist and research fellow at the British MuMuseumDr. Abidemi Babalola has won the 2025 Dan David Prize, earning international acclaim and a $300,000 award for his groundbreaking work in African archaeology.
Honoured at a ceremony in Italy on May 28, Dr. Babalola was celebrated for his pioneering research that proves glass bead production in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, was not imported but indigenous, overturning long-held assumptions that ancient African societies lacked such sophisticated technology.
The Dan David Prize is regarded as the world’s most prestigious award in the historical disciplines. Rather than being a research grant, it is a direct recognition of scholarly excellence.
Dr. Babalola’s win makes him the second Nigerian to receive the award, following his colleague and close friend who was honoured in 2023.
Spanning over two decades of research, Dr. Babalola’s work blends archaeology, ethnography, and scientific analysis to highlight how glass beads were more than ornaments in Yoruba culture, they symbolised power, gender, spirituality, and social class.
His findings, drawn from excavations in Ile-Ife and academic fellowships at Harvard and Cambridge, have reframed global narratives about African technological innovation and cultural complexity.
“This is a reward for undeniable, field-defining work,” said a past Dan David Prize laureate. “Babalola’s discovery is a turning point in African historical studies.”
The award is being hailed as a monumental achievement for Nigerian academia and a proud moment for Africa’s contribution to global knowledge. Scholars, students, and cultural institutions across the continent are celebrating the recognition, noting that Babalola’s success spolights the growing influence of African researchers in rewriting historical truths with rigour, depth, and authenticity.
