PROFILE OF PROF. TAOFIK ADEWALE ADEDOSU, LAUTECH'S 74TH INAUGURAL LECTURER

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Professor Adedosu was born on 27 May 1972 into the family of Late Chief Rauf Adegboyega Adedosu (Otun Baale of New Adamasingba, Okoro, Oke-Itunu) of Adamasingba Compound and Chief Mrs. Amina Mojisola Adedosu of Alagogo Compound, Oniyanrin in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. His academic journey began at St. John Anglican Primary School, Ihunbo, Ogun State, and Community Primary School, Ijokodo, Ibadan (1976-1982). He proceeded to United Secondary School, Ijokodo, where he graduated in flying colours as the best student in 1987 and served meritoriously as Library Prefect. His quest for academic excellence continued at Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo (1988-1989) where he completed his Advanced Level studies. His intellectual brilliance blossomed at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, where he obtained a B.Tech. in Chemistry in 1997 with Second Class Honours (Upper Division). In that remarkable graduating class, he emerged as the Best Graduating Student in Chemistry, Second Best Graduating Student in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, and one of the best graduating students in the entire University for the 1997/1998 academic session. He later obtained his M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry (2001) and Ph.D. in Organic Geochemistry (2009) from the University of Ibadan.

Professor Adedosu began his academic career at LAUTECH on 23 February 1999 as a Graduate Assistant, rising through diligence and scholarly excellence to become Professor of Organic Geochemistry on October 1st 2015. Over the years, he has served the university in several leadership and administrative roles including Examination Officer (2010-2011), Chairman, LAUTECH Innovation Committee (2018-2019), Director of the LAUTECH Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery (2019-2023), and Director, Centre for Research and Development (2023-2024). He currently serves as Director, Centre for Academic Linkages and International Affairs, Chairman, University Ranking Advisory Committee, and LAUTECH Sustainable Development Desk Officer. In recognition of his leadership and scholarly contributions, he was appointed South-West Coordinator of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Nigeria Chapter (2025-2027) and recently the Pioneer Head, Department of Chemistry (Sabbatical), Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho (FUNATO).

An internationally exposed scholar, Professor Adedosu was a Third World Academy of Sciences-Chinese Academy of Sciences (TWAS-CAS) PhD Scholar at the State Key Laboratory of Gas Geochemistry (SKLGG), Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), Lanzhou, China (2007-2008) and later a Postdoctoral Scholar at the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (SKLOG), Institute of Geochemistry, Guangzhou (GIG), China (2012-2013). He has published over 75 scholarly articles, attended more than 70 conferences, and presented papers at over 35 conferences and workshops across Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, China, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Dubai. He has delivered 16 public lectures and produced a technical report for the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) on Oil Fingerprinting Techniques. His research excellence has attracted over $26,000, €745 and more than ₦64 million in research and travel grants, including CAS-TWAS grants, TETFund travel grants, PACE grant, NOSDRA grant, PSCII innovation grant, Innov8 innovation grant, APHRC grant, and the University of Plymouth grant. He is Co-Researcher on two projects funded by the 2023 TETFund NRF valued at ₦44,444,660.85 and Principal Investigator of the 2024 TETFund IBR Grant (₦4,955,000) on the characterization and valorization of Pachira glabra seed oil for antiseptic soap and biodiesel production.

A dedicated mentor, Professor Adedosu has supervised over 300 undergraduate students, 12 M.Tech. Students, and supervised and co-supervised 5 Ph.D. candidates, He is currently supervising one M.Tech. and supervising and co-supervising 3 Ph.D. students. His research interests span petroleum geochemistry, environmental geochemistry, renewable energy from biomass, eco-friendly remediation technologies, natural product chemistry, and product development. He has contributed chapters to notable books including “Aspects of the Petroleum Geology of Nigeria’s Frontier Basins” (2021) and “Research Advances in Environment, Geography and Earth Science” (2024), and recently served as lead author of the first indigenous undergraduate textbook on Fossil Fuel and Renewable Energy Sources (2026).

He was on sabbatical leave at Osun State University during the 2011/2012 academic session and has served as Visiting Professor, Professorial Assessor, and External Examiner (undergraduate and postgraduate) to numerous tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria. These include Chemistry/Industrial Chemistry/Petroleum Chemistry programmes at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; The Polytechnic, Ibadan; UNIOSUN; Fountain University; OAU; UNILORIN; Babcock University; Abiola Ajimobi Technical University; Al-Hikmah University; FUPRE; Prince Audu Abubakar University; FUNAB; FUOYE; UNIMED Ondo; Adamawa State University; UNIABUJA; University of Fort Hare, South Africa; and Cape Peninsula University, South Africa. He has also participated in Petroleum Geology/Geological Sciences/Earth Science programmes at Pan-African University (UI), OOU, University of Ibadan, and the University of Western Cape, South Africa.

He is a reviewer for numerous reputable journals, External Reviewer to the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa, and Member of the EAGE–EAG Technical Community on Geochemistry. Professor Adedosu is a member of several professional bodies including Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), American Chemical Society of Nigeria (ACS), Nigerian Association of Petroleum Exploratioists (NAPE), Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), European Association of Geocientists and Engineers (EAGE), and The Society of Organic Petrology (TSOP). He became a Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN) in 2019 and an Innovation Fellow for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) in 2024. Beyond academia, he has served his community as President of the Students’ Chemical Society of Nigeria (LAUTECH Chapter), Pioneer President of the United Secondary School Old Students Association (87-Set), President of the LAUTECH Muslim Graduates’ Association (LAUMGA), Vice President (Academics) of the CSN, Kwara Chapter (2024-2026), and President of Oluyole Club, LAUTECH Chapter (2022-2026).

He is also a member of the EIA Team working on the establishment of Quail Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Unlimited Modular Refinery in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, and serves as Soil and Water Analysis Expert on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of a road project in Osun State. His excellence has been recognized with several awards including the Tugbiyelé Prize for Best Graduating Chemistry Student (1997), LAUTECH Distinguished Alumni Award (2019), and the LAUTECH Alumni Award of Excellence in Academic and Innovation (2025) presented during the 35th Anniversary of the University. A devout Muslim, he is happily married to Mrs. Haleema Omolola Adedosu (née Obembe), and their union is blessed with wonderful children.

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