Olanike Adeyemo

Adeyemo was born 17 July 1970 to the family of late Alhaji Moshood Akanni Salami, Baale Ladogan of Iseyin, Oyo State and Madam Modupeola Aduke Salami of Ile-Loosare, Igbajo, Osun State. Olanike started her primary education at LEA Primary School, Kigo Road, Kaduna (1975-1978) and later attended CAC Primary School, Sango, Ibadan, from 1979 to 1981. She had her secondary education at Ahmadiyya Grammar School (now Anwar-Ul-Islam Grammar School), obtaining her West African Examination Council results in 1986. Before gaining admission into the University of Ibadan, Olanike had a brief stint of Advanced Level studies at St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan.[10] She got her first degree in Veterinary Medicine from University of Ibadan in 1994. She also obtained her masters and doctorate degrees from the same institution in 1998 and 2005 respectively. She was made an associate professor in 2008, but became a full professor in 2011. She is a member of several professional bodies including Society of Toxicology, World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association, Wildlife Disease Association, Nigerian Academy of Science.[11][12]

Olanike Adeyemo started her career by undertaking the National Youth Service Corps program from June 1994 to May 1995 as a Veterinary Officer with the Safana Local Government Area, Safana in Katsina State.[13] She started her academic career as a lecturer 2 in 1999 at the department of Vetirinary public health and preventive medicine at the University of Ibadan after her Masters degree program. In 2002, she was promoted to lecturer grade 1 until 2005 when she was made an Assistant professor. In 2008 she was made an Associate professor up till 2011 when she was promoted to the rank of Professor.[14] In March 2017, Adeyemo was elected into the newly created office of Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership. Previously, she was the head of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine department.[15] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Olanike was appointed the Chairperson of the Oyo State COVID-19 Decontamination and Containment Team.[16][17] Adeyemo is the first Nigerian woman in the field of Aquatic Veterinary medicine. Speaking to The Punch on the manly nature of her discipline, she described herself as not being woman-like, explaining that she gets along better with men. She went further to explain that she got to the top of her profession through hardwork, and gender has little to do with it.[18] She is an executive member of the Global Young Academy (2013), member of the African Academy of Sciences’ Commission on Women in Science in Africa (2014-date), member of Mauritius Declaration on Ocean Sciences (2016), member of Nigeria Academy of Science Committee on Science Advice in Africa (2019), Expert Group of the High-Level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy (2019).[19]

Olanike Adeyemo was awarded Scientist of the Year in 2020 by the International Achievements Research Center (IARC).[20][21] She was Featured in “Women in Science - Inspiring Stories from Africa”, a publication of Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), which profiled thirty women from eighteen countries across Africa, who have excelled in various STEM careers.

Adeyemo is married to a pharmacist, and has three sons and one daughter.

She has publications in academic journals, as well as being a reviewer to internationally recognized academic journals.

• Agbede, S.A.; Adedeji, O.B.; Adeyemo, O.K. and Olufemi, B.E. (2001). Fish food development, safety and security in Nigeria. Proceedings of the USDA/USAID/NIGERIA sponsored international conference on Food safety and security in Nigeria, held at IITA, Ibadan-Nigeria between 1–3 August 2001. 58-69. USA
• Naigaga, I. and Adeyemo, O.K. (2007). Environmental Change Assessment in Africa: Seasonal Fluctuation in the Atmospheric and Water Levels of Methane and Nitrous Oxide in Selected Aquatic Ecosystems in Uganda and Nigeria. Final Project Report for 2006 START/PACOM African Global Change Research Grants, 26pp.
• Adeyemo, O.K. (2009). Evaluation for Sustainability of Aquaculture Development in Nigeria. Final Project Report on 2008/2009 USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) grant, 28pp.