Meet the VC
Spend your next few years studying at a center of intensive scholarship and taking advantage of our multidimensional academic experience.
KolaDaisi University Ibadan Vice-Chancellor
Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji
Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji – an internationally respected parasitologist, distinguished conservation scientist, accomplished university administrator, inspirational teacher, institution builder, and transformational academic leader whose remarkable career has been dedicated to advancing knowledge, improving lives, conserving biodiversity, and strengthening higher education in Nigeria and beyond.
Professor Morenikeji’s story is one of purpose, perseverance, and exceptional achievement. It is the story of a young girl whose intellectual curiosity, disciplined upbringing, and passion for learning evolved into an extraordinary academic career spanning more than three decades. It is equally the story of a scholar whose research has influenced public health interventions, whose conservation work has earned international recognition, whose administrative leadership has strengthened institutions, and whose unwavering commitment to excellence has inspired colleagues and students alike.
Born in Lagos into the distinguished family of Chief Abraham Wilson Olanipekun Falode and Mrs Beatrice Tinuola Falode of Ilesa, Osun State, Professor Morenikeji is the youngest of six children. She was nurtured in a home where integrity, discipline, diligence, faith, and service were cherished virtues. Those early family values would become the moral compass that has guided every stage of her personal and professional journey.
Her educational journey began at Onward Nursery and Primary School and Baptist Primary School in Lagos before she completed her primary education at Model Primary School, Ilorin, Kwara State. Even at this early stage, she demonstrated unusual intellectual ability and a disciplined commitment to excellence.
She proceeded to Notre Dame Girls’ Secondary School, Ilorin, Kwara State where between 1980 and 1985 she distinguished herself not only through outstanding academic performance but also through exemplary leadership. Throughout her secondary education she consistently earned a place on the Honours Roll, reflecting sustained academic distinction. Her peers and teachers alike recognised her organisational ability and integrity, leading to her appointment as a school prefect from Form Three through Form Five. Her election as President of the Girls’ Guide further revealed qualities of responsibility, compassion, discipline, and service – qualities that would later define her leadership in academia and beyond.
Following her successful completion of secondary education, she proceeded to Federal Government College, Ilorin, for her Advanced Level studies, where she further strengthened the academic foundation upon which an exceptional scientific career would be built.
In 1986, Professor Morenikeji gained admission to the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier university and one of Africa’s foremost centres of learning. There she studied Zoology and graduated in 1990 with the Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree, distinguishing herself as one of the University’s promising young scientists.
For many scholars, the bachelor’s degree marks the completion of academic preparation. For Professor Morenikeji, it marked only the beginning of an intellectual journey that would profoundly influence scientific research, public health, wildlife conservation, and higher education across Africa.
Motivated by an insatiable desire to understand the complex interactions between parasites, humans, animals, and the environment, she immediately embarked upon postgraduate studies in Parasitology at the University of Ibadan. She obtained the Master of Science degree in 1992, graduating with the best result in Parasitology, an achievement that affirmed her exceptional academic promise and laid the foundation for a distinguished research career. She subsequently proceeded to doctoral studies, earning the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Zoology (Parasitology) in 1998.
Her doctoral research would prove to be far more than an academic exercise. At a time when Guinea worm disease remained one of the most debilitating neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria, Professor Morenikeji undertook pioneering field research on its epidemiology and control. Supported in part by UNICEF, her work took her beyond university laboratories into rural communities where the disease had devastated lives for generations.
Working across fifteen endemic communities, she combined rigorous scientific investigation with community engagement, public health education, behavioural change interventions, environmental management, and practical disease-control strategies. She demonstrated not only how scientific knowledge could explain disease transmission but also how it could empower communities to reclaim their health and dignity. Her work contributed to interventions that interrupted disease transmission and formed part of the broader national effort that culminated in Nigeria’s certification as free of Guinea worm disease – a landmark achievement in global public health.
This early accomplishment revealed what would become the defining characteristic of Professor Morenikeji’s scholarship. Throughout her career, she has consistently pursued research that transcends academic curiosity to solve real-world problems. For her, scientific discovery has never been an end in itself; rather, it has been a powerful instrument for improving lives, protecting communities, preserving ecosystems, and advancing sustainable development.
Recognising her exceptional promise, the international scientific community soon opened its doors to her. She was awarded the highly competitive Multilateral Initiative on Malaria/Tropical Diseases Research (MIM/TDR) Postdoctoral Fellowship for advanced research training at the Division of Parasitology, National Institute for Medical Research, London, in 2004. She subsequently received the TWAS-DBT Postdoctoral Fellowship for training at the National Institute of Malaria Research in Delhi, India, from 2008 to 2009. Committed not only to scientific excellence but also to ethical leadership in research, she attended the Harvard School of Public Health, United States of America, where she earned a Certificate in International Health Research Ethics in 2007.
Her preparation for university leadership also extended into international leadership development. She was the University of Ibadan delegate to the Executive Programme on Empowering Women in Higher Education, designed at the request of the National Universities Commission by the Oxford City Academy for Education and Development and held at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, in 2020. She was also selected to participate in the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the United States Government’s premier professional exchange programme, during which she undertook intensive leadership training and professional engagements across six states in the United States. In addition, she participated and is still participating in the DIES LEADx Executive Programme on Leadership for Transforming Higher Education Institutions at the University of Potsdam, Germany, supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK). These experiences strengthened a leadership outlook already marked by academic discipline, ethical responsibility, global perspective, and institutional purpose.
These years shaped Professor Morenikeji into far more than an accomplished scientist. They produced a scholar with a rare ability to integrate rigorous research, compassionate public engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ethical leadership – qualities that would define her distinguished academic career and ultimately prepare her for the highest levels of university leadership.
The journey was from a promising young zoologist to an internationally recognised scholar. Decades witnessed an extraordinary body of scientific contributions, pioneering innovations, institutional leadership, and global engagement that would firmly establish her among Nigeria’s most distinguished academics.
That remarkable journey of scientific discovery, scholarly excellence, and global impact is the next chapter of the story we celebrate today.
A Scholar of International Distinction
The history of great universities is, in many respects, the history of scholars whose pursuit of knowledge transcends the boundaries of classrooms and laboratories to transform lives and societies. Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji belongs to that distinguished tradition.
Following the successful completion of her doctoral studies, she embarked upon an academic career at the University of Ibadan, where her intellect, diligence, and unwavering commitment to excellence soon distinguished her among her peers. Beginning as an Assistant Lecturer in 1998, she advanced steadily through the academic ranks – Lecturer II, Lecturer I, Senior Lecturer, Reader, and ultimately Professor of Parasitology in 2016. Each promotion reflected not merely the passage of time, but sustained scholarly productivity, excellence in teaching, impactful research, and dedicated service to the University and the wider academic community.
Throughout this remarkable journey, Professor Morenikeji embraced the noble calling of the university teacher with uncommon devotion. To generations of students, she has been far more than a lecturer. She has been a mentor, counsellor, motivator, and guide whose influence extends well beyond the lecture theatre.
Her teaching philosophy is anchored on the conviction that universities exist not simply to transmit knowledge but to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and lifelong learning. Consequently, her classrooms have consistently been environments where intellectual inquiry is encouraged, scientific rigour is demanded, and every student is challenged to realise his or her fullest potential.
Over the years, she has taught an exceptionally broad spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses spanning zoology, parasitology, ecology, environmental biology, wildlife management, epidemiology, environmental impact assessment, animal behaviour, parasite immunology, and tropical disease ecology. This breadth reflects not only mastery of her discipline but also an appreciation of the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of contemporary biological sciences.
Perhaps even more enduring than the lectures she has delivered are the scientists she has helped to shape.
Professor Morenikeji has successfully supervised seventy-five Master’s dissertations and seven doctoral theses, while continuing to mentor several additional doctoral candidates. Many of her former students, some now professors, serve as university academics, researchers, environmental scientists, public health specialists, conservation practitioners, and policy professionals across Nigeria and beyond. Through them, her influence continues to multiply, enriching institutions and communities far beyond those she has directly served.
Yet, while Professor Morenikeji’s commitment to teaching has been exemplary, it is through her research that she has earned international distinction.
At the heart of her scholarship lies an enduring commitment to addressing some of humanity’s most persistent public health challenges. Her research has consistently focused on diseases that disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable populations – conditions often described as neglected tropical diseases because they receive limited global attention despite their devastating human and economic consequences.
Her investigations into guinea worm disease, malaria, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and other parasitic infections have significantly advanced scientific understanding of disease transmission, epidemiology, diagnosis, immunology, and control. Importantly, her work has never remained confined to academic journals; it has informed practical interventions capable of improving health outcomes within endemic communities.
Professor Morenikeji belongs to a generation of African scientists who recognised early that the complex health challenges confronting the continent cannot be solved through single-disciplinary approaches. Long before the concept gained widespread global prominence, she embraced what is now known as the One Health philosophy – the recognition that the health of people, animals, and the environment is fundamentally interconnected.
This philosophy has shaped virtually every aspect of her research career.
Her investigations have combined classical parasitology with epidemiology, molecular biology, immunology, environmental science, wildlife ecology, geographic information systems, remote sensing, and public health. Such interdisciplinary scholarship has enabled a deeper understanding of disease dynamics while providing more effective and sustainable approaches to disease prevention and control.
Among her notable contributions has been the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial modelling to parasitic disease epidemiology. By integrating environmental variables with human behavioural patterns and infection data, she has generated valuable insights into transmission dynamics, particularly for schistosomiasis, thereby contributing to more targeted and cost-effective control strategies.
Professor Morenikeji has also distinguished herself through pioneering work in translational research. Recognising the growing challenge of drug resistance and the need for environmentally sustainable interventions, she has explored the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants and innovative nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems for parasite control.
Her studies involving polymeric nanoparticle formulations of curcumin and artesunate demonstrated enhanced antimalarial efficacy while reducing toxicity, opening promising new directions for malaria treatment research. Equally groundbreaking were her investigations into biodegradable curcumin–nisin nanoparticles as environmentally friendly molluscicides against Biomphalaria pfeifferi, the intermediate host of schistosomiasis. These innovative contributions represent important advances in sustainable parasite control and illustrate her capacity to bridge fundamental science with practical application.
Her scholarship has equally advanced understanding of host–parasite interactions, parasite immunology, environmental determinants of infection, zoonotic disease transmission, wildlife parasitology, and biodiversity health. Collectively, these contributions have expanded scientific knowledge while strengthening the evidence base for disease prevention and public health policy.
The quality and impact of Professor Morenikeji’s research are reflected not merely in the volume of her publications but in their breadth, originality, and enduring relevance.
She has authored and co-authored more than one hundred and twenty peer-reviewed scientific publications, in addition to seven scholarly books, book chapters, technical reports, conference papers, and training manuals. Her work has appeared in highly respected international journals, including Acta Tropica, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Malaria Journal, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Environmental Pollution, Parasite & Vectors, and many others. Through these publications, she has contributed significantly to global scholarship in parasitology, environmental health, wildlife conservation, and One Health science.
Scientific excellence naturally attracts collaboration.
Throughout her career, Professor Morenikeji has established productive partnerships with leading researchers and institutions across Africa, Europe, Asia, and America. Her collaborative work has strengthened international scientific networks, promoted interdisciplinary research, facilitated capacity building for younger scientists, and enhanced Nigeria’s visibility within the global research community.
Her scholarship has also attracted competitive funding, fellowships, sponsorships, and institutional support from respected national and international organisations. These include UNICEF, the World Health Organization MIM/TDR programme, the Harvard School of Public Health, TWAS-DBT, TETFund, the National Universities Commission, the University of Ibadan Senate Research Grant scheme, the United States Government, the United States Consulate Lagos, the National Geographic Society, the Chicago Zoological Society, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the North American Pangolin Consortium, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, UNODC, and other partners committed to science, conservation, public health, education, and sustainable development.
Among the landmark projects reflected in her records are her co-investigator roles on malaria immunology research funded by MIM/TDR and on the MacArthur Foundation multidisciplinary schistosomiasis grant in Ogun State; her facilitation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Ibadan and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development in Kenya; her North American Pangolin Consortium grant for compound-feed development for White-bellied Pangolins; her supervision of Rufford Small Grant awardee establishing wildlife conservation clubs in secondary schools; her role as an implementing partner to the One Health and Development Initiative on pangolin rehabilitation, conservation, and habitat protection supported by the Chicago Zoological Society; and her selection as a mentor in the prestigious World Health Organization (WHO) Mwele Malecela Mentorship Programme, an international leadership initiative that nurtures emerging leaders in neglected tropical diseases through mentorship by globally recognised experts.
Notwithstanding these impressive accomplishments, Professor Morenikeji has remained remarkably grounded. Colleagues consistently describe her as generous with her time, meticulous in her scholarship, gracious in collaboration, and deeply committed to the success of others. She has reviewed manuscripts for numerous leading international journals, examined postgraduate theses across Nigerian universities, mentored early-career academics, and contributed selflessly to strengthening scientific standards within the academy.
Her service to academic standards has been equally significant. She has served as external examiner for postgraduate projects and undergraduate programmes at institutions including the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; the Federal University of Technology, Akure; Bowen University, Iwo; the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, Ibadan; and Lagos State University. She has reviewed books and technical publications, including works on animals and economic importance, bushmeat consumption in Nigeria, and confiscated pangolin care, and has served as peer reviewer for journals such as Acta Tropica, Malaria Journal, Parasites & Vectors, Frontiers in Microbiology, the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, The Zoologist, and Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports.
For Professor Morenikeji, research has never been solely about academic recognition. It has always been about solving problems, empowering communities, protecting ecosystems, informing public policy, and leaving society better than she found it.
It is this rare combination of intellectual excellence, practical relevance, and unwavering public service that has earned her recognition as one of Nigeria’s foremost parasitologists and one of Africa’s respected voices in One Health research.
Yet, remarkable as these scientific achievements are, they represent only one dimension of an extraordinary career.
For alongside her contributions to human health, Professor Morenikeji has become one of Africa’s leading champions of wildlife conservation, giving international prominence to the protection of endangered species and demonstrating that conservation is not merely about safeguarding wildlife but about preserving the ecological foundations upon which humanity itself depends.
That remarkable conservation journey forms the next chapter of the story we celebrate
A Champion of Biodiversity Conservation and One Health
While Professor Olajumoke Abimbola Morenikeji’s pioneering research had already established her among Nigeria’s leading parasitologists, her vision extended beyond the laboratory and the lecture theatre. She understood that the health of humanity is inseparable from the health of animals and the ecosystems they inhabit. Long before the term One Health gained widespread prominence in global scientific discourse, she had embraced its philosophy, recognising that sustainable solutions to emerging health challenges require the harmonious integration of human, animal, and environmental health.
This conviction inspired a remarkable chapter in her career – one that would elevate her from a distinguished scientist to an internationally respected conservation leader.
In 2010, Professor Morenikeji was appointed Director of the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most iconic zoological institutions. The appointment presented both a challenge and an opportunity. Established in 1948 primarily as a teaching and research facility, the Zoological Garden possessed immense historical significance but required renewed vision to realise its full potential as a modern centre for conservation, education, research, and public engagement.
Professor Morenikeji embraced that challenge with characteristic energy, creativity, and determination.
During her six-year tenure, she led one of the most significant transformations in the history of the Zoological Garden since 1948. Guided by a clear strategic vision, she repositioned the institution from a traditional animal exhibition facility into a vibrant centre for wildlife conservation, scientific research, environmental education, and community engagement. Under her leadership, infrastructure was built and upgraded, animal welfare standards were strengthened, veterinary care was enhanced, and research activities expanded significantly. Educational programmes were redesigned to inspire environmental awareness among young people, while new partnerships with conservation organisations enriched the Garden’s scientific and public outreach activities.
Perhaps more importantly, Professor Morenikeji transformed public perception of the Zoological Garden. She championed the view that zoological gardens should serve not merely as places where animals are displayed, but as living classrooms where visitors develop a deeper understanding of biodiversity, ecological stewardship, and humanity’s shared responsibility for protecting the natural world. Through innovative educational initiatives, public lectures, conservation campaigns, and school engagement programmes, she rekindled public interest in wildlife conservation and inspired a new generation of environmental advocates.
Her leadership demonstrated that conservation is not simply about preserving endangered species – it is about shaping attitudes, changing behaviours, and cultivating a society that values and protects nature.
This philosophy has remained central to her life’s work.
Recognising the alarming decline of pangolins – the world’s most heavily trafficked wild mammals – Professor Morenikeji turned her scientific expertise and leadership towards one of the most urgent wildlife conservation challenges of our time. At a period when relatively little organised conservation work on pangolins existed within Nigeria, she emerged as one of the country’s foremost advocates for their protection.
With remarkable foresight, she founded the Pangolin Conservation Guild Nigeria (PCGN), a first of its kind in Nigeria, a dedicated platform committed to pangolin research, conservation, rescue, rehabilitation, education, and policy advocacy. Through the Guild, she has mobilised researchers, conservation practitioners, students, wildlife authorities, local communities, and international partners around a shared mission of safeguarding these extraordinary yet imperilled mammals.
Under her leadership, the Guild has undertaken rescue and rehabilitation initiatives, promoted scientific research, strengthened wildlife law enforcement awareness, developed educational materials, established wildlife conservation clubs in schools, and engaged communities whose livelihoods intersect with wildlife. By combining rigorous science with community participation, Professor Morenikeji has demonstrated that effective conservation can only succeed when local people become active partners in protecting biodiversity.
In 2020, the Management of the University of Ibadan allocated 3.5 acres of land for her pioneering pangolin conservation and research work, an institutional acknowledgement of the seriousness, promise, and national importance of her conservation vision.
Her research on pangolins has significantly expanded scientific understanding of their biology, morphometrics, health, diseases, parasites, rehabilitation, and conservation. She has contributed to studies addressing the health status of rescued pangolins, zoonotic disease risks, morphometric characterisation, physiology, and conservation genetics, providing evidence that informs both national conservation strategies and international policy. These contributions have strengthened efforts to improve rescue protocols, rehabilitation practices, and long-term conservation planning for one of the world’s most threatened groups of mammals.
Professor Morenikeji’s expertise soon earned recognition far beyond Nigeria.
In 2022, she was appointed Regional Chair for West Africa of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group, a major international leadership role in pangolin conservation. In this capacity, she provides strategic leadership for conservation initiatives across the West African region, fostering collaboration among scientists, governments, conservation organisations, and local communities to address wildlife trafficking, habitat loss, research gaps, and species recovery.
Her contributions extend beyond field conservation into global policy development. She has participated in the IUCN Red List Assessment process for the White-bellied Pangolin, contributed to international technical guidance on the emergency care of confiscated pangolins, and supported CITES-related conservation work. She represented Nigeria at the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP19) in Panama City in 2022, and served as a partner and stakeholder in the drafting and high-level validation of Nigeria’s National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime, 2022-2026, funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and implemented by UNODC through the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Professor Morenikeji’s influence has also extended into international public engagement through globally recognised media platforms. She served as fixer and featured expert for a 2019 National Geographic Wild pangolin documentary, as consultant and featured expert in the VICE News documentary Inside the Global Underground Wildlife Trafficking Market, which the supplied record notes has drawn more than 1.9 million views, and as a featured expert in Team Sayari, a youth-led conservation series aired on National Geographic Wild. These productions introduced global audiences to the realities of wildlife trafficking while showcasing Nigeria’s conservation efforts and the importance of evidence-based environmental stewardship.
Her commitment to conservation has equally found expression through service to several important institutions. She has served as Chairperson of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park, providing strategic leadership for one of Nigeria’s notable conservation and environmental education centres. She has also supported the establishment and development of zoological institutions across the country through consultancy, advisory services, and capacity building, helping to strengthen professional standards in wildlife management and conservation practice.
In recognition of her leadership within the zoological community, Professor Morenikeji became the Pioneer President of the Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks, providing a national platform for collaboration among zoological institutions and promoting best practices in animal welfare, conservation, education, and research. Under her leadership, the Association advanced professional networking and strengthened the role of zoological institutions in biodiversity conservation across Nigeria.
Beyond her formal appointments, Professor Morenikeji has become one of Africa’s most persuasive advocates for the integration of biodiversity conservation into national development. She has consistently argued that conservation is not a luxury reserved for wealthy nations but an essential investment in environmental sustainability, food security, public health, climate resilience, and economic prosperity. Through public lectures, policy dialogues, scientific conferences, media engagement, and community outreach, she has worked tirelessly to bridge the divide between science and society, making conservation relevant to everyday life.
Her voice has been heard at major academic and conservation platforms. She was keynote speaker at the International Symposium on Pangolin Care and Conservation hosted by the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo in 2018; keynote speaker at the International Conference of the Zoological Society of Nigeria in 2023; keynote lecturer at the Private Universities Educational Forum in 2024 and 2025; and keynote speaker at the naming of the University of Ibadan Postgraduate Administrative Building after Professor Sanya Dojo Onabamiro in 2025 among others.
What distinguishes Professor Morenikeji’s conservation philosophy is its optimism. She believes that conservation succeeds not through fear but through hope; not through exclusion but through partnership; and not through regulation alone but through education, research, and shared responsibility. Her work exemplifies the conviction that scientific knowledge must ultimately serve society by protecting both people and the planet they inhabit.
Today, her name is associated not only with advances in parasitology but also with the global movement to conserve endangered wildlife and promote the One Health approach that increasingly shapes international policy. She stands among a select group of African scholars who have successfully united scientific research, public engagement, conservation leadership, and international advocacy into a single, coherent legacy of service.
Yet, even as Professor Morenikeji’s scientific and conservation achievements continued to earn international acclaim, another dimension of her leadership was quietly unfolding. Throughout her career, universities repeatedly entrusted her with responsibilities that demanded strategic thinking, sound judgement, institutional vision, and the ability to inspire others.
Those experiences would prepare her for the highest calling in university administration – the leadership of an entire institution.
It is to that remarkable record of academic leadership and institutional transformation that we now turn.
