CITATION OF PROFESSOR JOSEPH ABAYOMI OMONIYI OLAGUNJU

Basic Personal Data (with dates):

Professor Joseph Abayomi Omoniyi Olagunju was born on 25th January 1956 into the family of late Mr. David Kolawole Olagunju and Mrs. Abigail Wuraola Olagunju who were both teachers during their life time. He hails from Oke-Ila Orangun in Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State. He attended Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School, Otun-Ekiti (1962-1964) and Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School, Oke-Foko, Ibadan (1965-1967) for his primary school education. He proceeded to the Adventist Grammar School, Ede in January 1968 where he obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC) Ordinary Level in 1972 in First Division and as the best student of the 1972 graduating set. 

His undergraduate studies started at the Adventist College of West Africa (now Babcock University), Ilishan-Remo in 1973, later to Beirut, Lebanon and finally the Philippines where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the Philippine Union College, Caloocan City (now Adventist University of the Philippines moved to Silang Cavite) on 26th May 1978 also as the best graduating student in Chemistry. He proceeded to the University of the Philippines, Health Sciences Center, Manila, in June 1978 and graduated with a Master of Science in Biochemistry on 22nd May 1980. Professor Olagunju later attended Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he obtained his PhD degree in Biochemistry in 1991.

Academic Career (with dates):

Prof. Olagunju was appointed Lecturer II at the then Oyo State College of Education (now Osun State College of Education), Ila-Orangun on 1st August 1981 after the completion of his mandatory one-year National Youth Service at the Polytechnic, Ibadan in July 1981. He rose through the ranks in this institution to the rank of Senior Lecturer on 1st October 1985. Following the completion of the PhD degree programme in Biochemistry in 1991, Prof. Olagunju joined the services of Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago-Iwoye on 4th August 1992 and rose to rank of Senior Lecturer on 1st October 1996. He later joined the services of Lagos State University as a foundation staff at the College of Medicine on 4th January 1999, appointed Associate Professor on 4th May 2001 and promoted to the rank of Professor of Medical Biochemistry on 1st October 2004. Aside from Lagos State University and Ogun State University, Prof. Olagunju had served as Visiting Professor to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (2005-2006), University of Malawi at Blantyre (2006) and Bowen University, Iwo (2013-2014).

Academic Distinctions and Honours:

Prof. Olagunju in January 1979 was awarded the University of the Philippines Integrated Foreign Scholarship sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation and awarded to him having distinguished himself as a Graduate student of the University. He won the First Prize, Abbott Research Award of the Philippine Medical Association in 1980 and was Ford Foundation Award Winner and Research Associate in 2001. In 2019, he was appointed a member of the TeTFund Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Academic Publications where he served as a member of the Book Publications Sub-Committee of that technical body till March 2023, to mention but a few.

Professional Affiliations:

Prof. Olagunju is a member learned societies including Nigerian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Society for Medicinal Plant Research (Germany), Philippine Biochemical Society and Molecular Biology, Nigerian Society for Experimental Biology, and West African Society for Pharmacology to mention a few.

Institutional Positions Held/Service to the Community:

Prof. Olagunju was the foundation Head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry (LASUCOM); Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (LASUCOM) 2007-2012; Chairman, University Examinations Timetable Committee (2016 to date); Chairman, Central Admission Screening Committee for several years; Chairman, Board of Postgraduate School (2016 to 2023); Member, Governing Council, Lagos State University (2015 to 2021); Member of Senate; Academic Board of LASUCOM; Appointments and Promotions Committee (College and University) and several other University Committees. He was the Secretary, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ogun State University Branch between 1994 and 1998. He currently serves as a member of the Board of London Professional Training Center, an outfit based in Nigeria and the UK.  

He is married and blessed with children and grandchildren. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby present to you an outstanding academic, prodigious researcher and accomplished personality, Professor Joseph Abayomi Omoniyi OLAGUNJU.