- By Tosin Ajayi
University of Lagos youngest Professor, Temitope Olabisi Onuminya, a lecturer at the Department of Botany, has underscored the importance of botany in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.
In a media chat, the 38-year-old professor of Plant Systematics and Conservation explained that innovations like DNA barcoding, which identifies plant materials in various forms can assist law enforcement and relevant authorities in identifying adulterations in various formulations as well as distinguishing between restricted and common plants, facilitating speedy and informed decisions regarding the analysis of substances and enforcement.
Prof. Onuminya, who earned her doctorate from UNILAG in November 2011, graduating as the overall best PhD. Student and the youngest in the tertiary institution’s 50-year history, credited her success to the mentorship of Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the university’s immediate past Vice Chancellor. “I have been able to enjoy the mentorship of a man who is visionary and willing to provide the platform for one to thrive at every point. I am grateful for the guidance he provided in my academic journey so far. He instilled in me a culture of learning and personal development for everything that is needed in academic development,” she said.
The Darwin Scholar emphasised the importance of securing funding for research, noting that her mentor equipped her with grant-writing skills.
Originally aspiring to be a mechanical engineer like her grandfather, an electrical engineer, Prof.Onuminya’s path shifted after a series of encounters with people and circumstances.
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She expressed disappointment at being directed to Botany instead of Medicine or Pharmacology, adding that encouragement from a neighbour motivated her to excel in her studies.
By her third year, inspired by Ogundipe, she decided to pursue a career in academia, declining several lucrative job offers elsewhere.
She reiterated the value of mentorship and the exposure it offers, stressing that her mentor’s support allowed her to travel and learn from experts, enhancing her skills in molecular biology and DNA barcoding.
The don acknowledged the challenges of herbal drug standardisation and the efforts being made to address them. According to her, the African Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development, and Regulatory Science (ACEDHARS)at UNILAG trains various practitioners and stakeholders in the herbal production industry on standardisation and regulatory compliance.