The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ajayi Crowther University (ACU)

  • ACU’s don  gets NSE Fellowship

    ACU’s don  gets NSE Fellowship

    • By Temitope Adejuwon

    Engineers and prominent Nigerians from across the country converged on the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan for the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Conference on Monday to celebrate excellence, service, and decades of technical contribution to national development.

    This year, the engineering body conferred its prestigious Fellowship (FNSE) on 481 accomplished professionals. Among them is a man whose journey reflects academic depth and field experience, the pioneer and incumbent Director of Works at Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo, Dr Oluwole Aderogba Olaniyi.

    For Olaniyi, an associate professor of structures and materials, 2025 has been a year of professional affirmation.

    The NSE honour comes just weeks after he was conferred with the Fellowship of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (FNICE) on October 22 during the body’s international conference in Kano. Earlier, on October 11, he received yet another professional milestone: the Fellowship of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (FNISafetyE) at a ceremony held at The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

    These recognitions cement his standing as a multi-disciplinary asset in civil engineering, structures, and safety management.

    Olaniyi’s journey into engineering began at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, where he earned an OND in Civil Engineering in 2003. He proceeded to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, obtaining his B.Tech. and M.Tech. degrees in 2008 and 2014 respectively.

    In 2023, he capped his academic pursuit with a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), specialising in Structures and Materials, a field that blends scientific precision with practical problem-solving in building.

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    While building his academic credentials, Olaniyi was equally active on construction sites, supervising multi-million-naira projects across Nigeria, including in the Federal Capital Territory.

    In classrooms, he developed a reputation for mentoring young engineers who today occupy roles in both the private and public sectors. His early teaching career at LAUTECH later transitioned into international service when he joined the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) at the University of The Gambia.

    There, he helped pioneer the establishment of the Civil and Electrical Engineering Departments and designed curricula that continue to influence engineering education in the West African country.

    Olaniyi returned to Nigeria in 2020 and joined Ajayi Crowther University’s Civil Engineering Department. In September this year, he was appointed Associate Professor of Civil Engineering.

    But his contributions to ACU extend far beyond the lecture hall.

    From 2000 to 2024, he served as the institution’s Project Engineer, before being appointed its first Director of Works in October 2024. In that role, he has overseen major construction and redevelopment projects, including the Wole Olanipekun Lecture Halls, Professorial Office Complex, and the Registrar and Bursar’s Lodge.

    A registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Olaniyi has been an active member of the NSE, NICE, and NISafetyE for more than a decade.

    He currently serves as the General Secretary of the NSE Oyo Branch and has worked on several conference and technical committees, including the Venue Sub-Committee for the 2025 NSE International Conference/AGM and the Protocol/Technical Sub-Committee for the Engr. Olumuyiwa Ajibola FNSE Annual Lecture.

    Beyond administrative and professional roles, Olaniyi remains committed to research. His works have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, and he has co-authored laboratory manuals widely used by engineering students.

    Some of his notable papers include:

    “Safety of Concrete Infrastructure in Nigeria: Steel Reinforcing Bars Perspective.”

    “Compressive Studies of Steel, Bamboo, and Rattan as Reinforcing Bars in Concrete.”

    “Price Trends and Geometric Size Patterns of Steel Reinforcing Bars in South Western Nigeria.”

  • When stakeholders gathered at ACU to address Nigeria’s $9 b food waste crisis

    When stakeholders gathered at ACU to address Nigeria’s $9 b food waste crisis

    By Olufemi Atoyebi

    When hundreds of farmers, agricultural experts, researchers and officials of government agencies convened at Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), between April 8th and 11th, their mission was clear: to tackle challenges of food waste and poor storage practices that are pushing Nigeria toward food insecurity and increasing reliance on smaller nations to feed its ever growing population.

    The gathering, being the 9th edition of Sustainable Livelihoods and Development Network for Africa (SLIDEN AFRICA) which held in collaboration with ACU, had, among others, the objective of offering practical solutions to the inefficiencies in agricultural practices that have long denied farmers the full rewards of their harvests, with ACU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Timothy Adebayo as the chief host.

    Every second, vast quantities of food, ranging from grains and vegetables to dairy products and tubers, are wasted across all regions of Nigeria. Annually, this staggering loss amounts to over $9 billion, representing 40 per cent of food grown by Nigerian farmers.

    What makes this even more troubling is that, despite this abundance, Nigeria spends approximately $1.8 billion each year on food imports. Yet, the true cost of this waste extends beyond economics; it carries serious environmental consequences as well. This is because food that rots in landfills can leak harmful substances into the soil and water which is consumed directly or indirectly by humans.

    This huge loss has been linked to the use of outdated preservation methods and lack or inefficient storage facilities. However, the causes go far deeper.

    ACU Vice Chancellor, Prof Adebayo, was specific in his definition of the gathering, describing it as assemblage of experts, researchers, policy makers and practitioners to consider and explore the indices of food sustainability as ingredients of food security.

    The seasoned scholar and authority in agricultural science said the University has been proactive in enhancing food security by playing its role as research and learning institution.

    “We have our own Seeds Company, piggery, fishery, and we engage in cattle rearing just as we plant both food crops and cash crops.  It is just appropriate that SLIDEN Africa has chosen Ajayi Crowther University as the rightful host of this 9th conference,” he said.

    SLIDEN Africa, according to him, focuses on finding solutions to basic and essential needs of life, including hunger, malnutrition, environmental degradation that results in unsustainable food production and consumption practices as well as poor livelihood.

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    Justifying the relevance of the event further, Adebayo added that, “It is in tandem with the global development ambitions, in terms of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some of these goals are closely aligned with the theme of this conference; Food Waste, Zero Hunger, and Sustainable Food Systems.”

    Senior Director of Breeding and Pre-Breeding at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Professor John Derera, was emphatic in the keynote address he delivered at the event, pointing out that already, 33 million Nigerians are directly affected by food insecurity, with 18 per cent of Nigeria’s 235 million population suffering from undernourishment.

    Derera, who was represented by Global Head, Breeding Consultative Group, IITA, Dr Hogson Mushoruwa, added that with the annual population percentage growth of 2.08 to double by 2050, food insecurity situation could grow worse unless genuine effort is put in place to tackle food waste.

    He said, “Nigeria spends more than US$1.87 Billion on food imports per year. Food losses and waste is estimated to be 40 per cent of its total food production annually, equivalent to 37.9 million tones. Food losses and waste are valued at US$9 Billion.

    “Amidst these challenges lie opportunities for intervention through implementing a holistic approach that encompasses infrastructure development, sustainable agricultural practices, and supportive policies.’

    Some of the obvious challenges facing food availability today in Nigeria are poverty, climate change, food price crisis, waste management challenges and so on.

    While also acknowledging these challenges, Derera examines food wastes encouraged by poor farm practices, stating that there are tested and trusted approaches that can be employed to tackle food insecurity in Nigeria. He said this will help government to spend less on food importation and hit a new height in food exportation and foreign income earnings.

    He said farmers must be exposed to high yielding, climate resilient and nutrient dense varieties that are preferred by modern farmers.

    According to him, Nigeria must stop paying lip service to investment in application of best farming practices that target to optimise yield per hectare. This according to him will boost yield and ensure that more food is available for both local consumption and export.

    To strengthening food supply chain infrastructure the IITA breeding strategist said Nigeria must improve on storage system, food transportation from source to destination and distribution systems in order to reduce food wastage that is being experienced in Nigeria today.

    “We need to build better roads, cold storage facilities and market linkages that would help ensure that food reaches consumers in good condition. We must also promote sustainable practices such as agro-ecology, crop rotation and the use of organic fertilisers to ensure that farming does not deplete the land or cause long-term environmental damage,” he said.

    Flexible government policy on food processing industry is another solution proffered by Derera. He said government has the responsibility of investing in food processing equipment, creating a favourable policy environment and providing training to local entrepreneurs.

    In his address, Dean of Agriculture faculty at ACU, Dr Adebayo stated that the problems of food wastes and hunger stemmed from loss of crops as a result of poor seed planting, adding that ACU has been in the forefront of the fight against this challenge through the establishment of a seed company.

    He said the University’s cheap and flexible tuition payments are in place to encourage youth to study agriculture.

    He said, “Towards achieving sustainable food production systems ACU has established strong links and collaboration with institutions like IITA, OYSADA and privately owned agricultural businesses for the purpose of motivating and inspiring our students by exposing them to cutting-edge technologies and innovations.”

    Part of the highlight of the four-day event was farmer’s forum, where about 500 farmers pooled from across Nigeria shared their challenges and implored government to work with genuine and qualified agriculture experts to ensure food sufficiency in Nigeria.

    According to them it would be a waste of energy and fund to hold such an elaborate event with resolution coming from it not considered by government.

    •Olufemi Atoyebi is the Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Crowther university, Oyo