Board of Trustees


Prof. A. F. Ogunye DSc, FAEng. Chairman, Board of Trustees


Prof Ayo Ogunye attended Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo
where he was imparted by the Awokoya legacy, the study of Chemistry. He later proceeded to Government College, Ibadan in 1961 for his HSC. Between 1963 and 1966, he studied Chemical Engineering at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, and his Postgraduate studies, MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada, between 1966 and 1969, and was later appointed the first Dean of Engineering Post Doctoral Distinction Fellow by the University of Waterloo.

He returned home in September 1970 and joined the first department of Chemical Engineering in the country, the University of Ife, as a lecturer. He subsequently left Ife in 1973 to start the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos as the sole lecturer at Senior Lectureship level. He was appointed the first Professor of Chemical Engineering of the University of Lagos in March 1979. He was, at different times, Acting Head and Head of the Department, until he voluntarily stepped down as the Head, eighteen months before the expiry of his term, on October 1, 1980. He was admired and loved within the university community while he was in active service.

He retired after 17 years as a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos, in September 1995 at the age of 53. On his retirement, he endowed the Department, which he started in 1973 with Professor Ayo Ogunye Chair of Chemical Engineering, with his gratuity and his monthly pension since retirement. The endowment is presently managed by the Board of Trustees of the Professor Ayo Ogunye Trust Foundation UNILAG by eminent Nigerians at the University of Lagos.

He is a Fellow of The British Institution of Chemical Engineers, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Foundation Fellow, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers and the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He is a past President of The Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers and The Nigerian Academy of Engineering.

 

Prof Ogunye has served on the boards of some companies, which included ABB Lummus Global Nigeria, a subsidiary of the multinational ABB LUMMUS GLOBAL INC., USA. He is currently the Vice Chairman of Nautilus Nigeria Engineering and Construction Ltd. He was the Pro-Rector and Chairman of Council, Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo, between 2006 and 2011.

University of Lagos had honoured him with the Award of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) Degree in Engineering for his pioneering research work, the first of such award in Engineering in the country’s university system. Professor is a prominent member of Egbe Bobagbuyi of Ijebuland and the Baba Ijo of St Luke’s Anglican Church, Japara, Ijebu-Igbo.


 

Dr. Sonny Folorunsho Kuku, OFR FAS FAMedS. (The Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland) Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees


Dr Sonny Kuku is an all-rounder, having made indelible marks
in the fields of Academics, Medicine, Science, Business, Finance, Culture, etc. He has been described as a Jack of all trades and arguably a Master of all. In Academics, he has a prodigious record with over 20 degrees and Fellowships, including 2 doctorates in medical sciences, winning distinction prizes and gold medals. In Science, his contributions have been adjudged seminal and impactful to the extent that he was elected FAS (Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science) and FAMedS (Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Specialties), both very prestigious and the highest a scientist can aspire to. In Medicine, he has reached the pinnacle of the medical profession having been a President and gold medalist of the West African College of Physicians, Distinguished Fellow of the Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Master of the American College of Physicians, Honorary Life President of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Society of Nigeria, Honorary Life Patron of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria and President of the Pan African Diabetes Study Group amongst other accolades.


In business, he is regarded as a forerunner in introducing medicine as a formal organized business in Nigeria having along with his partners co founded the famous and prestigious Eko Hospital which was the first and so far the only quoted hospital group on the prestigious Nigerian Stock Exchange and is the first private Hospital recognized by the Federal Government as a Tertiary Hospital. In the Financial world, he has been on the boards of many blue chip institutions and was the Chairman of the first tier Ecobank, Nigeria, and became Chairman of Chairmen of Nigerian Banks and President of Bank Directors Association of Nigeria. In public service he has chaired the 4 tertiary institutions 2 Universities (Olabisi Onabanjo University and the University of Benin) and 2 Teaching Hospitals (Obafemi Awolowo University, University College Hospital Ibadan) where he was elected Chairman of the Committee of Chairmen of State Universities and Chairman of the Committee of Chairmen Nigerian Tertiary Hospitals.

He was nicknamed Chairman of Chairmen. He was the President of the prestigious King’s College Old Boys Association and that of the University of Lagos Alumni Association. He has a bagful of honours locally, nationally, and internationally. He was the First Distinguished Alumnus and Diamond Jubilee Distinguished Alumnus, along with the Nigerian Vice President. He is the Ambassador of Goodwill of the City of Freetown, an honorary Fellowships from all over the world, an honorary degree, and national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

 

He holds many life achievement and role model awards and is cited in Who’s Who in the World, Nigeria, Medicine, etc. He is Vice Chairman of the Ogun State Elders Consulltaive Forum and Chairman of the Council of Awujale Ijebu of Chiefs. He holds the Hereditary Traditional title of Olor’ogun of Ijebu-Ode and was recently conferred with the highest and most prestigious non-hereditary traditional title in Ijebuland: The Ogbeni Oja. He sits on many Boards of Trustees, mostly as Chairman, eg, WACP, and as Vice Chairman in the Awokoya Foundation. He is the Founder of The Sonny Kuku Foundation.


 

Engr. (Chief) Joe Anyigbo

Member, Board of Trustees

Engr. (Chief) Joe Anyigbo, currently an Oil and
Gas Consultant, has over 35 years of extensive
experience in the Oil and Gas Industry both here and
abroad. He disengaged from Chevron Nigeria Ltd. in 2002 as a Pioneer Executive Director after a very distinguished and meritorious career. Engr. Joe Anyigbo was educated at Lafayette College, Pennslyvania, USA, where he graduated with Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in Chemical Engineering; later, he obtained a Masters of Science from CarnegieMellon University and a Master of Business Admin. (MBA) from the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

At Chevron Nigeria Ltd., he served in various capacities, including Manager Engineering, pioneer Gas Development General Manager, and pioneer Executive Director covering Exploration, IT& New Ventures. His contributions to the Nigerian Oil & Gas industry are immeasurable and exemplary.

Chief Anyigbo is a fellow of the Institute of Directors, Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, an active Member of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers; Recipient of many Awards including; National Productivity Order of Merit Award; S.O Awokoya Foundation; Nigeria Petroleum Industry Golden Jubilee-Pathfinder Award.

Chief Anyigbo serves on the Board of Committees of several companies. He and Mrs Anyigbo are blessed with four (4) children.

 

Dr. Folarin Awokoya, Ph.D.(Engr.)

Member, Board of Trustees

 
is the Founder and Chairman
of Tritech Online Ltd., an information technology service
firm providing web presence products and services encompassing domain names and a broad range of hosting solutions under TriDomainHost.com and TriValueHost.com. Dr Awokoya had worked for Raychem Corporation, Menlo Park, CA, USA as a management consultant and for Monsanto Company Polymers Division in Springfield, MA., USA as a research engineer.

Dr. Awokoya holds Ph.D and M.Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., USA. He also holds an M.Sc degree in Management from Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Awokoya is an alumnus of Federal School of Science, Onikan, Lagos, and Government College, Ibadan.

 

Otunba Otukayode Otufale

Member, Board of Trustees

Graduated with BSc Business Administration and Masters of Arts in
Economics from Texas Southern University of Houston and Prairie View, A& M University of Texas, USA, respectively. He has decades of accomplished endeavor in the Nigerian Banking/Finance sector, from 1978, when he started work as a Youth corps member at Societe Generale Bank Nigeria, to became Head of Loans Department in the same bank in 1980.

In 1985, he set up Citi Trust Investments Ltd, an investment Banking firm where he was MD/CEO and nurtured the firm till it metamorphosed into Citi Trust Merchant Bank Ltd in 1989 where he was Executive Vice Chairman /CEO and later in 1995 merged with Union Merchant Bank Ltd.


In 1985 he set up Citi Trust Investments Ltd, an investment banking firm where he was MD/CEO and nurtured the firm till it metamorphosed into Citi Trust Merchant Bank Ltd in 1989 where he was Executive Vice Chairman /CEO and later in 1995 merged with Union Merchant Bank Ltd.


He currently sits on the board of the following companies
· Cititrust Investments Ltd – Chairman
· Cititrust Pension Managers Ltd – Executive Chairman
· Universal Broadcasting Services (Superscreen Television) – Chairman
· Marine and Energy Co. Ltd – Chairman
· Agro-Commodities Handling Services Ltd – Director
· Pacific Printers Ltd (Subsidiary of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting     Co Ltd) – Director
· Ijebu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture – Life Vice    President
· Metropolitan Club – Member

He brings his wealth of experience and goodwill to bear at the Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation for Science Education (SOAFSE) 

 

Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, OON, FNSE, FAEng.

Member, Board of Trustees

Prof. Toyin Ashiru is the current pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University. He is a renowned Materials and Metallurgical Engineer with about 45 years’ experience across Nigeria, the UK, the USA and the Middle East.

He earned a B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Sussex, UK, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Metallurgy from the University of Birmingham, UK. He began his career as a Lecturer at the Universities of Lagos and Ibadan. Later, he held position as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Tin Research Institute, UK, and as a Professor at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. He has consulted and contributed innovative technologies for leading oil, gas, and petrochemical processing companies worldwide, including SABIC, Saudi Aramco, Shell, Qatar Oil, Chevron, Mobil, and others.

He invented the first instrument for real-time detection of steel cracking in sour petroleum production, which is now globally used. He holds patents in the USA, UK, Japan, and the World Intellectual Property Organization for other innovative technologies. Since 1996, he has successfully transitioned from academia to industry, finance, and entrepreneurship. He has served on and promoted corporate governance in the boards of organizations in sectors crucial to the economy, including Petroleum, Finance, Energy, and ICT. Notably, he is a Non-Executive Director at FCMB Group Plc, Chairman of CSL Stockbrokers Ltd, and Chairman of FOKS Gas JV Ltd.

In 2022, he was awarded the National Honour of Officer of the Order of Niger (OON). His accolades include the Eminent Innovator Award from the Association of Tin Producing Countries, the NSE Presidential Merit Award for Distinguished Engineering Practice, and the Very Imperial Plater Award from Vitre, France, among others. He holds the title of Otunba Moyegeso of Ijebuland.

 

Dr. Olutayo Martins MB.BS, MPH, PGDM, PhD. Member, Board of Trustees


Dr. Olutayo Folashade Martins is a public health physician, clinician, researcher, and lecturer. She holds a medical degree (MBBS) and a master’s in Public Health (MPH)
from Ahmadu Bello University. A Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from Federal University of Technology Yola and a PhD in Community Health from Universiti Putra Malaysia.

She has vast working experience in community activities related to HIV/AIDS, TB, Reproductive Health, Maternal and New born Health, in which she has worked in various leadership and managerial capacities.


She was the Medical Team Director of the medical outreach of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Special Committee on Relief Materials to Adamawa state; Project Manager of MacArthur Foundation’s Task Shifting and Task Sharing Implementation at both Adamawa and Nasarawa States and an Integrated Primary Healthcare Advisor for USA ID’s Integrated Health Program at Bauchi; both at Jhpiego.


Dr Martins is currently a Public Health Physician at the Department of Public Health, Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, a visiting Public Health Physician to Department of Public Health, Federal Medical Centre Jalingo and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at American University of Nigeria Yola.

 

Mrs. Yetsa Kehinde Osara (Nee Adadevoh)

Member, Board of Trustees 


is an accomplished Program Manager with a strong background in
healthcare information technology. Currently leading the Patient Solutions business portfolio at Carestream Dental, Yetsa drives strategic planning, project execution, and successful product releases across multiple regions. Prior to her role at Carestream Dental, Yetsa served as an Associate Director at Emory University, where she managed various projects and initiatives for the Southeast Regional Genetics Network. Her expertise lies in stakeholder relationship building, process improvements, program implementation, and collaboration.


She is passionate about improving health outcomes, enhancing user experience, and driving innovation in the healthcare industry. Yetsa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatics, and is a certified Project Management Professional.

 

Miss Similola Awokoya (M.Eng)        

Member, Board of Trustees

Similola Omole is a Cloud Solution Architect with over 10
years of experience in the Financial Services and Technology Industry. She is involved in several recruiting and mentoring initiatives that empower and encourage women into pursuing degrees and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) -related subjects.

She founded Witty Careers, a non-profit organisation equipping underrepresented women in the UK with skills to succeed in the technology industry. Simi has been featured in Forbes 30 under 30 Europe and the Financial Times as one of the Top Black and Ethnic Minority Leaders in the UK Tech industry.

Simi graduated from Imperial College London with an MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Management.

 

Dr. Omolaraeni Awokoya-Adadevoh M.Sc.(Occ. Med.) Lond.


Executive Director, Board of Trustees

Dr. Awokoya-Adadevoh is the Executive Director of the
Foundation. She has held pre and post her retirement from medical and private enterprise. She was the Executive Secretary of the African Heart Network, a coalition of African Heart Foundations with membership in 16 African countries.

She is very active in several professional, religious, charity and social organizations, the chief of which are The Methodist Church Nigeria and the Lions Clubs International.

She is a past President of Ladies Friendly Society, Matron of the Ladies Progressive Society, the Girls Brigade and the Boys Brigade all of the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos.

She is a two-time recipient of the Woman Achievers Award from both the Lagos State and Ogun State chapters of the Women’s Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN).