CITATION AND PROFILE OF PROFESSOR SUNDAY OLAWALE OKENIYI

VICE CHANCELLOR, ATIBA UNIVERSITY, OYO

Professor Sunday Olawale Okeniyi, the new Vice Chancellor of Atiba University Oyo is the current President of Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), a former Acting Academy Provost (Vice Chancellor) at the Nigerian Defence Academy from 2012 to 2015. He is a Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (FCSN), a Fellow of the Institute of Chattered Chemists of Nigeria (FICCON), Member Institute of Planning, Nigeria (MIPN), Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom (FRSC (UK), Member, American Chemical Society (ACS), Fellow Institute of Management Consultant and a Chartered Management Consultant. A recipient of the Association of Northern Nigerian Students (ANNS) award of Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna Educational Merit Award of Excellence as An Achiever Par Excellence, A Bridge Builder, and An Icon of Exemplary Leadership in Educational Development and a distinguished recipient of American Chemical Society – Nigeria International Chemical Sciences Chapter (ACS – NICS) Award.

Born into the family of Pa Gabriel Afolabi and Madam Felicia Oyeronke Okeniyi, (both of blessed memory) on the 14th day of January, 1960. He holds a B. Sc. (Hons) degree in Chemistry, an M. Sc. and Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he was a Federal Government of Nigeria Postgraduate Scholar. He is a Professor of Chemistry and has carried out extensive researches in the area of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Analysis, organic and natural product chemistry and published over 80 refereed journal articles and several chapters in different books. He has peer reviewed numerous books and journal articles, co-edited 2 books, and delivered several academic planning Policy-oriented lectures to Registrars and Directors of Academic Planning & Quality Assurance units in Nigerian Universities. He has won a number of individual research grants, including those from the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), and the Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship. 

Prof Okeniyi commenced his lecturing career at the Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State - Nigeria between July 1983 and June 1984 during the period of the one year compulsory National Youth Service Corps Scheme and later joined the services of the Kwara State Education Management Board (KWSEMB) in November 1984, where he taught chemistry in four different secondary and Grammar schools including his Alma Mater, the great Offa Grammar School.  He left Offa Grammar School voluntarily in 1992 and joined a pharmaceutical marketing Company in Lagos as a Sales Representative. He was later posted to Kaduna as Area Sales Manager.   With a dint of hard work and commitment, he got promoted to the position of National Sales Manager and posted back to the Head Office in Lagos. He however left the company in September 1994 to pursue his passion for lecturing at the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, ABU, Zaria.  He left ABU Zaria and joined the services of the Nigerian Defence Academy Chemistry Department in September 1995 as Lecturer II. He worked tirelessly in the Academy to rise to the enviable rank of Professor of Chemistry (Organic and Natural Product) in October 2008.  

Professor Okeniyi’s teaching and research experience cuts across Nigeria, South Africa and United Kingdom. His contribution to scholarship is mainly seen in his ability to break down disciplinary boundaries in explaining the complexities of the analytical potency, Phytochemistry and essential oil profiles of poorly studied Nigerian and African medicinal and aromatic plants and herbs. He is the first indigenous professor to occupy the office of the Academy Provost at the NDA, where he coordinated the growth of Research activities. He developed and reviewed academic curriculum in tandem with the mission and vision of the Academy and the National Universities Commission (NUC) and also established centres of Excellence such as the Centre for Energy and Environment, that focuses on the promotion and utilisation of scientific and technological advancement in Energy and Environment for the benefit of mankind. His hobbies include traveling, driving, reading, photography and computer games.  He is happily married to his beautiful and amiable wife, Mrs. Joy Kikelomo Okeniyi and are both blessed with sons and daughters.