Dr. Wasiu Agunbiade Lamidi was born in late 1960s in Ileogbo, headquarters of Ayedire Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. He attended Ansar-Ur-Deen Primary School, Ileogbo between 1974 and 1980; Luther King’s College, Ileogbo for secondary education, (1980-1986) then Baptist High School, Iwo, Osun State for Higher School Certificate (1986-1987). He proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in 1988 for his University education where he had B.Sc (1994), M.Sc (2005) and Ph.D (2011), in Agricultural Engineering.
He also has Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto in 2007. He worked as a Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Education in Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun, Osun State between 2000 and 2014. He transferred his services to Osun State University, Osogbo in June 2014 to the Department of Agronomy in the Ejigbo campus of Osun State University.
His services were transferred to Osogbo campus by Osun State University precisely to the Department of Agricultural Engineering in August 1. 2021 as the pioneer head of the Department.
Dr Lamidi held many positions of responsibility. He was the Acting Head of the Department of Agronomy of the University between August 1, 2017 and July 31, 2021; Acting Head of Department of Agricultural Engineering from August 1, 2021 till date. He is a member of the Osun State University Senate since 2017.
Dr. Lamidi belongs to several professional bodies such as Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) and International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO). He is a certified Engineer by COREN. He was the Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE), Osogbo Chapter (July 2019-July 2022) and a member of Executive of both of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Osogbo Branch (2019 -2022) and the NIAE South West Region of Nigeria (2019 till date).
He is the currently the Vice Chairman of NIAE in the South West Region of Nigeria. He is also a community man as he was for years Secretary of his community developmentassociation.
Dr Lamidi’s research interests are farm structures and environment, livestock housing management, soil and crop environments. He has published over 70 articles in top rated journals and proceedings. He had also attended several conferences in his profession and other areas. He is happily married with children.
Engr. Prof. Azikiwe Peter Onwualu obtained the B.Eng. degree in Agricultural Engineering with first class honours in 1982 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He later obtained M.Eng., degree in the same field and discipline in 1986. The PhD degree was obtained from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada in 1991. He joined the services of University of Nigeria, Nsukka as a Graduate Assistant in 1983 and rose through the ranks to Professor in 1999.
Over the years, he has worked in the areas of: agricultural power and machinery, agro-processing machinery, biomass engineering and processing of industrial raw materials, and Science, Technology and Innovation policy.
He was Head, Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2000-2003), Director, Engineering Infrastructure, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, Abuja (2003-2005), Director General/CEO, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Abuja (2005-2013) and Visiting Professor, National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja (2014-2015).
He was: Coordinator, Science Technology and Innovation (STI) thematic group of Vision 20-2020, Chairman, Committee of Directors of Research Institutes of Nigeria (CODRI) (2010-2013) and member National Research Fund (NRF), Committee of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFund 2019-2022).
At the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), he was: Head, Materials Science and Engineering Programme; Director, Academic Planning; Centre leader, Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI), African Centre of Excellence in Materials; Focal Point, Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) and Team Lead, AUST-PASET project “From Research to Markets: strengthening the innovation capacity of AUSTInspire)”.
He is currently the Acting President of African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, member, Board of Directors of African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) network, Nairobi, and Chairman, Technical Board of Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI) Akure.
Professor Onwualu has received many awards including: Presidential merit award, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Individual Honours Award, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Abuja branch; Award of Excellence by Nigeria Institute of Physics, Most Distinguished Agricultural Engineer of the Year by Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers.
He is a Fellow of 12 professional bodies, including: Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers; Polymer Institute of Nigeria, Materials Science and Technology Society of Nigeria, Solar Energy Society of Nigeria, Agricultural Society of Nigeria, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Management, Nigeria Academy of Science and currently the 12th President, Nigeria Academy of Engineering (2022 – 2024).