johnkersey

The University has been informed of the recent death of Professor Badejo. Our condolences go to his family and friends. The burial ceremony will take place on the 30^th of October, 2021 in Ibadan, Oyo state when Professor Luke Okojie will represent the University.

Professor Solomon Olufunmilayo Badejo (1948-2021) was a Professorial Fellow and Professor of Forestry and Environmental Science of European-American University for more than a decade, and was the Executive Director of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. He was educated at the University of Ibadan (BSc Forestry) and then proceeded to the University of British Columbia, Canada, where he earned his Masters Degree specializing in Wood Science and Technology in 1977. He returned to Nigeria and obtained his PhD in Forestry and Wood Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Having served in the Federal Department of Forestry from 1974, he joined the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria as a Senior Research Officer in 1978 and was promoted successively to Principal Research Officer (1981), Assistant Chief Research Officer (1988), Chief Research Officer (1996), Assistant Director (2002), Director (2005), Acting Executive Director (2006) and finally substantive Executive Director (2007).

He was a member of various Local, National and International Committees on Forestry and Environmental Protection, Conservation and Management as well as Manpower Training and Development in Forestry. He had served as the Head of several Research Units, Departments and Outstations such as Forest Products Research and Utilization Department at the headquarters in Ibadan. As the Head of the Swamp Forest Research Outstation, Onne in Port-Harcourt, Professor Badejo distinguished himself in his research into the Development and Utilization of the Mangrove Tree Species. At the Research Outstation in Kano, Professor Badejo demonstrated his passion and commitment towards addressing problem of the deteriorating environment and particularly desertification. He led the research work into identifying suitable tree species for combating desertification and stabilization of sand dunes in the Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Nigeria.

Based on this background, he championed the course of establishment of Small-Size Industrial Timber Plantations along the Semi-Arid Eastern belt states of the country. He held professional certificates in Wood Science and Wood Technology from Hamburg, Tsukuba, Japan and Germany. His experiences and flair for Research and Teaching accounted for his engagement to teach Wood Science and Forest Products courses on a part-time basis at some institutes and Universities in Nigeria. He served as a major supervisor to several Diploma and Higher Degree programmes at HND, MSc and PhD levels from the various tertiary institutions of learning. He was widely recognized and has received no less than 58 National and International awards and recognitions. He received the National Productivity Order of Merit of Nigeria in 2010, and in 2009 was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from European-American University. He was happily married with children.