The African Writers Endowment (AWE) is delighted to honor Toyin Falola has one three distinguished leaders of the Africa world. His accomplishments in writing and scholarship as the preeminent African history scholar of his generation, his astonishing contribution to the body of knowledge about Africa and African people, and his outstanding generosity in the teaching and molding of future generations of scholars combine to make you one of the thre recipients of the 2008 Quintessence Award.

In 2007 the Monmouth University of New Jersey honored Professor Toyin Falola with an honorary Doctor of Humanities, in recognition of his phenomenal contributions to the study of history and the humanities. A scholar, teacher, author, and poet, Professor Falola is regarded as the contemporary leading scholar in African history. He has authored over 40 books on the economics, politics, systems of knowledge, religion, military governments, and culture of African people. In 2002, some of his colleagues put together a book about him titled The transformations of Nigeria: Essays in honor of Toyin Falola.

About the Award

The Quintessence Award is the preeminent Pan-African Leadership Award in North America. The Quintessence Award is given each year to at least one continental African leader and at least one African American leader, "for distinguished accomplishments in the person's field of endeavor, and for outstanding contributions to the history and heritage of African people."

Recipients of the award in the past have included Congressman Donald Payne, Professor Ngugi wa-Thiongo, Professor Chinua Achebe, Chief Gani Fawehinmi ( SAN), Mr. Gill Noble, Secretary of State Lona Hooks, Mayor Douglas Palmer, and Professor Molefi Kete Asante, to mention a few. In each case, the recipients were present in person to receive the award, which is our only requirement of the honorees.

The Q'Award consists of an elephant mounted on a mahogany base. The elephant represents the majesty of African people, even in times of adversity, while the mahogany base symbolizes the status of African people as progenitors of the human race.