Degree: B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.
Email Address: oyewoleb@yahoo.com
Telephone Number: +2348033351814
Department: Food Science & Technology
Academic Rank: Professor
Current position: Secretary General Association of African Universities (AAU)
Professor Olusola Oyewole is the Secretary General Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. He has served as a Senior Expert (Quality Assurance, Mobility and Scholarships) at the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology of the African Union Commission in Ethiopia, Addis-Ababa, from 2009 to 2010.
Prior to coming over to the African Union Commission, Prof. Oyewole was the Coordinator of the British Government sponsored project on the “Mobilization of Regional Initiatives for the revitalization of higher education in Africa” , at the Association of African Universities (AAU), Accra, Ghana, from 2007 to 2009. His assignment involved promotion and management of African continental research networking and research programs for development. He has also served as the Project Officer of the World Bank project on “Quality Assurance for African Higher Education systems” at the Association of African Universities ( 2006 – 2009).
He was the Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology (1992-1999), the Director of the Equipment Maintenance Centre and prior to his coming to AAU, as the Director of the Research and Development Centre at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Prof. Oyewole was born in Kaduna on September 30, 1955, and hails from Abeokuta, in Ogun State, Nigeria. He had his higher education at the University of Ife (Now, Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, Nigeria, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 1981, and Masters and Doctorate (PhD) degrees in 1984 and 1991 respectively , from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. He has served as a Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, on: “Fermentation of Legumes, Seeds and Nuts in Africa”; “Fermentation of Non-Grain Starchy staples in African countries”, and on Food Biotechnology.
He has been involved in leading various research programs supported by the United Kingdom DFID, the European Union and the African Union. He has worked in various food research laboratories, in and out side Nigeria. He was at the Federal Institute for Industrial Research, Oshodi, Nigeria, for a one year sabbatical leave in 1999 – 2000, during which he was associated with various researches on food and industrial wastes.
Prof. Olusola Oyewole is highly computer literate and has demonstrable experience in international project planning, management and monitoring. He has worked in national, regional and continental organizations and has experience in coordinating multinational research and development programs. He has track records and experience in International and Inter-Governmental Relations, Advocacy and Lobbying for Research and Research Funding.
Olusola Oyewole background research interest is in Food Microbiology and has over eighty publications in various areas covering cassava processing and fermentation, lactic acid bacteria and various other African foods. He has been involved in various collaborative researches for the commercialization of African foods and was the project leader of the cassava research group that established the cassava processing plant at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
He was a former grantee of the International Foundation of Science in Stockholm, Sweden. He was awarded the IFS / DANIDA Award in 1999 which was given to honour researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa who have made noteworthy achievements clearly associated with research work supported fully or in part by the International Foundation for Science. He also received the International Foundation for Science [IFS] / King Baudouin Award for report of research of exceptional merit among IFS funded researches [December, 1992] . He is currently serving as a Scientific Adviser in the area of Food Science to IFS.
Olusola Oyewole was a member of the team that developed the Strategic Plan of the Lagos State University (LASU) – 2005 to 2010. He was also a member of the Caleb University ( Lagos, Nigeria) Planning and Implementation Committee ( 2005 – 2008). Over the years, Olusola Oyewole has developed interest in the development of Higher Education in Africa. His areas of focus include quality assurance, leadership and management in African higher education systems, research systems. He was one of the moderators of the African Union discussion forum on the Harmonization and ratings of higher education in African. He was a Deputy Board member of the NOMA program of the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU)(2007-2009)..
At the African Union, Prof. Olusola Oyewole was charged with the Coordination of the Mwalimu Nyerere Scheme, which programs include the African Quality Rating Mechanisms (AQRM) scheme, the Mwalimu Nyerere Scholarship program, and the African – EU-ACP Mobility scheme. He is currently a member of the Advisory Group of the OECD Programme on Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development, and the Tuning Africa Quality Assurance program.
Contacts:
Prof. Olusola Oyewole,
Dept. of Food Science and Technology
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
P.M.B. 2240
Abeokuta. Ogun State.
Nigeria.
Cell Tel: +234 803 3351814
E-mail: oyewoleb@yahoo.com ;
solaoyew@hotmail.com
Web: www.oyewole-unaab.net