ILMA Shines at 2025 NWU Research and Innovation Week

Olanrewaju Ogundeyi

Ms. Perpetual Umeaku, a doctoral student at the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) Research Focus Area, North-West University (NWU) Mahikeng campus, emerged as the winner of the Doctoral Poster Competition category at the 2025 NWU Research and Innovation Week.

The competition, segmented into three categories Doctoral, Master’s, and Honours featured a total of fifty-one (51) poster presentations. Ms. Umeaku’s winning entry, titled: “Examining Indigenous Language Health Media Potentials for a Sustainable Future: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective, resonated strongly with this year’s theme: “Transdisciplinary and Transformative Research: Building Sustainable Futures.”

Her research explores how indigenous language media can contribute to sustainable development in the health sector, highlighting the importance of inclusive and locally grounded communication strategies.

Present from the Faculty of Humanities and ILMA were Professor Mirna Mel, Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation, Faculty of Humanities, NWU, Professor Gilbert Motsaathebe, Dr. Bosilong Kgomotso and Mr. Theo Ngake. The week-long event is an annual flagship event of the university. It showcases NWU’s cutting-edge research, promotes collaboration, and provides a platform for engaging both internal and external stakeholders in the global higher education community.

From all of us at ILMA, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. Perpetual Umeaku on this outstanding achievement!