PRO-CHANCELLOR
Professor Oladapo A. Afolabi, OON, CFR
Professor Oladapo A. Afolabi, OON, CFR, is a former academic who was sworn in as Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria by President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR. on 18 November 2010. In this position, he was responsible for the Nigerian Civil Service. A former member of the Board of Trustees of Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo, he was appointed the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo on 5th. January, 2024.
He attended the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife (1972–1975), earning a BSc in Biochemistry. After receiving his degree, he worked as a graduate assistant while studying for his MSc in Biochemistry, which he gained in 1978, followed by a PhD in Applied Chemistry in 1981. Prof. Oladapo A. Afolabi taught at Obafemi Awolowo University, the University of Zimbabwe, and Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso.Hespecialised in environmental and food nutritional chemistry, and contributed many papers on related subjects. He played an important role in organising the first Ecological Summit in 1988, which led to creation of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Prof. Oladapo A. Afolabi joined the Federal Ministry of Environment when it was formed in1995. He chaired the committee that defined the initial structure of the ministry, and then was appointed Coordinator and then Director of the Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health. At the Environment Ministry he supervised the Integrated Solid waste Management Facility for 15 cities and was responsible for a number of studies on waste management and pollution reduction. In October 2006, Prof. Afolabi was appointed a permanent secretary of the Federal Civil Service by President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. In June 2007, he became permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labour. In November 2007, he moved to the newly created Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, formerly two separate ministries. In February 2009, Prof. Afolabi was assigned to the Cabinet Secretariat, in which role he introduced storage of documents in electronic form. In August 2009, he was again posted as a permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education, where he helped end a three-month strike.