Mr. Chancellor,
Today, KolaDaisi University celebrates a defining moment in its history. The investiture of a Vice-Chancellor is more than the assumption of office by a chief executive; it is the affirmation of a university’s ideals and aspirations, and the entrusting of its future to a leader whose life exemplifies scholarship, integrity, vision, and service.
It is therefore my singular honour and privilege to present for investiture Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji – an internationally respected parasitologist, distinguished conservation scientist, accomplished university administrator, inspirational teacher, institution builder, and transformational academic leader.
Born in Lagos to the family of Chief Abraham Wilson Olanipekun Falode and Mrs. Beatrice Tinuola Falode of Ilesa, Osun State, Professor Morenikeji’s life has been shaped by discipline, integrity, faith, diligence, and service. These enduring values have guided an academic career spanning more than three decades.
She obtained the Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Ibadan in 1990, the Master of Science degree in Parasitology in 1992, graduating with the best result in her class, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Zoology (Parasitology) in 1998.
Her doctoral research on the epidemiology and control of Guinea worm disease, supported in part by UNICEF, combined scientific investigation with community engagement and contributed to interventions that formed part of Nigeria’s successful effort towards the eradication of Guinea worm disease.
Recognising her exceptional promise, she was awarded prestigious international fellowships, including the MIM/TDR Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute for Medical Research, London; the TWAS-DBT Fellowship at the National Institute of Malaria Research, India; and a Certificate in International Health Research Ethics from the Harvard School of Public Health. Her leadership development has also been enriched through executive programmes at the University of Oxford, the International Visitor Leadership Program of the United States Government, and the DIES LEADx Programme in Germany.
Professor Morenikeji joined the academic staff of the University of Ibadan in 1998 and rose through the ranks to become Professor of Parasitology in 2016. Throughout her career, she has distinguished herself as an exceptional teacher and mentor, having successfully supervised seventy-five Master’s dissertations and seven doctoral theses, while mentoring many other emerging scholars, some now professors, whose contributions now extend across universities, research institutions, public health, and conservation organisations.
Her research has consistently addressed major public health challenges, including malaria, schistosomiasis, guinea worm disease, soil-transmitted helminths, lymphatic filariasis, and other neglected tropical diseases. She has pioneered interdisciplinary research integrating parasitology, epidemiology, molecular biology, environmental science, Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, and the One Health approach.
Professor Morenikeji has authored and co-authored more than one hundred and twenty peer-reviewed scientific publications and seven scholarly books. Her work has appeared in leading international journals and has attracted competitive grants and collaborations from organisations including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, TETFund, the National Geographic Society, the Chicago Zoological Society, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the North American Pangolin Consortium, the United States Government, the German Government, UNODC, and several other international partners.
Her scholarly excellence is matched by an extraordinary commitment to biodiversity conservation.
As Director of the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden between 2010 and 2016, she led one of the most significant transformations in its history, repositioning it into a modern centre for conservation, education, research, and public engagement.
Recognising the urgent need to protect the world’s most trafficked mammal, she founded the Pangolin Conservation Guild Nigeria, which has become a leading platform for pangolin research, rescue, rehabilitation, conservation education, and policy advocacy. Through this initiative, she has mobilised researchers, government agencies, local communities, and international partners in protecting one of the world’s most endangered species.
Her international leadership in wildlife conservation was further recognised with her appointment as Regional Chair for West Africa of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group. She has contributed to global conservation policy, participated in the IUCN Red List assessment process, represented Nigeria at CITES, contributed to Nigeria’s National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime, and served as an expert in internationally acclaimed documentaries by National Geographic Wild and VICE News.
Alongside her distinguished academic and scientific career, Professor Morenikeji has demonstrated exceptional administrative leadership.
She has served the University of Ibadan in numerous academic and administrative capacities and has provided leadership in professional organisations, quality assurance, research ethics, and academic governance.
Her service to KolaDaisi University has been particularly outstanding. She served as Head of the Department of Biological Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Pioneer Editor-in-Chief of the KolaDaisi University Journal of Applied Sciences, and Chairperson of numerous strategic committees that strengthened governance, accreditation, quality assurance, research development, and institutional planning.
As the Pioneer Deputy Vice-Chancellor, she played a central role in consolidating the University’s academic and administrative structures, promoting staff development, strengthening Senate processes, advancing research, improving student support systems, and providing strategic leadership that has positioned the University for its next phase of growth.
Professor Morenikeji is widely respected for her calm disposition, integrity, diligence, fairness, attention to detail, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence. She leads through consultation, inspires through example, and believes that universities must be student-centred, research-driven, globally engaged, ethically grounded, technologically innovative, and committed to solving society’s most pressing challenges.
Her appointment as Vice-Chancellor represents the culmination of a lifetime devoted to scholarship, innovation, conservation, institutional development, and national service.
Today, KolaDaisi University celebrates not merely an accomplished scholar, but a visionary leader whose life demonstrates that excellence in teaching, impactful research, conservation leadership, mentorship, and university administration can be harmoniously united in the service of humanity.
Mr. Chancellor,
By virtue of her distinguished scholarship, internationally recognised research, exemplary leadership in higher education, remarkable contributions to biodiversity conservation, unwavering commitment to teaching and mentorship, and proven record of institutional transformation, the Governing Council has found Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji eminently worthy of the great trust reposed in the office of Vice-Chancellor.
It is therefore with profound honour and the greatest respect that I present to you Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji for formal investiture as the Vice-Chancellor of KolaDaisi University, Ibadan.
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