Oluwagbemiga Adeleye, Former ASUU-UNAAB Chairman, Makes History as Nigeria’s First Animal Scientist to Bag a Professor of Animal Welfare

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has recorded another academic milestone with the emergence of Prof. Oluwagbemiga Olanrewaju Adeleye, immediate past Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU-UNAAB), as Nigeria’s first Animal Scientist to be a Professor of Animal Welfare, marking a significant advancement in the country’s livestock research and Animal Science discipline.

Professor Adeleye, who currently serves as Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), is a distinguished scholar in the Department of Animal Production and Health, College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM). With over 18 years of teaching, research and professional experience, he has built an international reputation in Animal Welfare Science, Animal Ethics, Livestock Production and Sustainable Agriculture.

A First-Class graduate of Animal Production and Health from FUNAAB, Professor Adeleye obtained his Master of Agriculture Degree in Non-Ruminant Production from the same University before earning a PhD in Agriculture (Animal Welfare) from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, in 2012.

His research focuses on animal welfare and behaviour, poultry production systems, rabbit nutrition and welfare, phytogenic feed additives, animal health management and sustainable livestock farming systems. His studies have contributed significantly to improving animal welfare standards, Livestock survival and productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Professor Adeleye has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles published in leading international and National journals, with many of the publications indexed in Scopus and PubMed. His scholarly works have appeared in highly respected publications, including Livestock Science, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Animal Feed Science and Technology, Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, and Tropical Animal Health and Production.

The renowned scholar has also attracted at least 10 competitive research grants as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Research Fund (NRF), the World Bank, and other funding agencies, supporting innovative research in animal welfare and livestock production.

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Since joining FUNAAB as a Graduate Research Fellow in 2007, Professor Adeleye has progressed through the academic ranks to become Junior Research Fellow, Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer II, Lecturer I, Senior Lecturer, Reader, and now Professor. He has taught numerous undergraduate and postgraduate Animal Science courses, supervised more than 80 undergraduate research projects, and guided more than12 postgraduate students.

His academic excellence has earned him several prestigious local and international honours, including the Education Tax Fund (ETF) PhD Scholarship to Newcastle University, the Murray Black Award of the British Society of Animal Science, the Erasmus Award for Sustainable Pig Production in France, the World Bank STEP-B Innovators of Tomorrow Research Award, and a Letter of Commendation from the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in 2024.

Beyond research and teaching, Professor Adeleye has rendered distinguished professional service through memberships in several national and international bodies. He is a registered Animal Scientist in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom (the first Nigerian to be a registered animal scientist in Britain) and belongs to professional organisations, including the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, Nigerian Society for Animal Production, Animal Science Association of Nigeria, British Society of Animal Science, World Poultry Science Association, and the International Goat Association.

His emergence as Nigeria’s first Professor of Animal Welfare (as an Animal Scientist) is expected to strengthen research, policy development and capacity building in animal welfare, while further positioning FUNAAB as a leading institution in agricultural education, research and innovation in Africa.