Prof. Chukwunonye Moses Ojinnaka

Prof. Chukwunonye Moses Ojinnaka

Professor Chukwunonye M. Ojinnaka graduated from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria, with a Bachelor of Science degree Hons. 1973 and a doctorate degree in 1978 in Chemistry. He was Head of Research Division, Leather Research Institute of Nigeria, (LRIN) Zaria, Kaduna State from 1978 to 1979. He also acted as Research Associate, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago in 1981. Professor Ojinnaka was also appointed as Senior Research Fellow, Arrhenius Laboratory, University of Stockholm, Sweden from 1984 to 1985 and appointed Head, Chemistry Department at the University Of Port Harcourt from 1988-1990.

In 1995, he was made a Professor of Chemistry, and became Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt from 2004 to 2008 and was made a Senior Research Advisor to the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 through 2009.

Professor Ojinnaka is a fellow of many Professional bodies which includes, Chemical Society Of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Chemical Research, and patron , Nigerian Institute of Medical Research.

He can be reached at Chukwunonye.ojinnaka@uniport.edu.ng and on mobile: +2348063680679

ACADEMIC RESEARCH:

Medicinal plant Research

Niger Delta region of Nigeria abounds with unexploited flora and fauna. This informs the effort directed towards the search for novel drugs originating from plant and animal sources. The aim of this research includes:

a) Screening medicinal plants for their biologically active principles

b) Isolation, and characterization of biologically active principles

Ongoing RESEARCH:

The Antimalarial Plants Agents of Nigeria: The alkaloids of Picralima nitida (Apocynaceae) (Isolation and bioactivity).

The Molluscicidal and Antibacterial principles of Napoleonaea imperialis (Isolation and structural elucidation).

The results of completed research works are published in Phytochemistry,Afr J Med Med Sci and Journal of Natural Products, Biologia Africana and Proceedings of Nigeria Academy of Science.

2. CHEMICAL TRIBOLOGY: MECHANISM OF REACTION OF LUBRICANTS AT HIGH TEMPERATURES

Crude oil and its by-products are important economic mainstay in Nigeria. This research will improve the marketability of crude oil and its by-products. The aim of this research project is to study:

a) The mechanism of the oxidative degradation of automotive crankcase oil

b) The role of metals in the oxidative degradation of automotive crankcase oils

c) The effects of temperature on the chemical characteristics of automotive crankcase oils and their base oils.

Ongoing Research:

Effects of vanadium and other transition metals on degradation of automotive crankcase oils.

Most of the completed research works are published in Tribology International, and Lubrication Science.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION.

University of Port Harcourt is established in a region prone to environmental degradation due to crude oil exploitation and spillage. The research aims at carrying out:

Environmental baseline

Post-impact environmental assessment of polluted sites

The objective is to provide the necessary impetus for environmental protection and rehabilitation.

Ongoing Research:

a) Assessment and treatment of hydrocarbon-inundated soils using inorganic nutrient (N-P-K) supplements.

b) Chemical Reclamation of crude-oil-inundated soils from Niger Delta, Nigeria.

c) Preliminary investigation on Mgbede-20 oil-polluted site in Niger Delta, Nigeria.

Publications by this research group could be found in following journals: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Chemistry and Ecology, Chemistry & Biodiversity and Res.J.Chem.Sci..

4. Crude oil Dehydration: Formulation of demulsifiers from surface active components.

The co-existence of produced water with crude oil causes crude-oil emulsion and pipeline corrosion. The aim of the research is: To formulate a crude oil demulsifier that may be friendly in a specified Nigerian oil field.

Ongoing Research:

Study on Demulsifier Formulation for Treating Bonny light Crude oil Emulsion using HLB – Dielectric Permittivity Correlations.

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Chukwuka Ozor

Prof. Olive Mugenda of Kenyatta University

Prof. Olive Mugenda is currently the Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University (www.ku.ac.ke), located in Nairobi Kenya. Her career is really intriguing and inspiring, having rose from a lecturer, Head of department, Dean of the school, DVC (Finance and planning) and ultimately the first lady VC to head a public university in the East African region.

Prof. Mugenda has authored numerous award winning publications including “mapping out the best practices to higher education for orphaned and vulnerable students in Kenya and Rwanda”. This was funded by Association for African Universities.

In addition to extensive scholarly experience, Prof. Mugenda has shown strategic leadership qualities. She has led Kenyatta University to realize great milestones including postmodern library, central administrative complex, Unicity, and the underway referral hospital.

She has been a member and headed several national, regional and international boards. This includes but not limited to chairing the Council of Commonwealth Universities.

Prof. Mugenda received the prestigious African Leadership award of higher education for year 2015. This served as recognition for being the overall winner for IMPRESSA award competition for excellence in University Leadership, Management and Capacity Development.

She is a true legend who deserves our recognition. Her excellent performance has greatly influenced the industry. Just last week, Prof. Rose Mwonya was elected the new VC for Egerton University (www.egerton.ac.ke). She becomes the fifth  lady to head a University in Kenya.

Romain Lucas Glèlè Kakai, Professor of Biostatistics and Forest modeling, Benin

Romain Lucas Glèlè Kakaï is Full Professor in Biostatistics and Forest modeling at the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi (Bénin). Presently, he head the Laboratory of Biomathematics and Forest Estimations (LABEF), University of Abomey-Calavi.  

He  is member  of (i)  the Global Young Academy and (ii) The World Academy of Sciences   His interests can be subdivided in four main points: i) assess relative performance of classification methods; ii) model forest dynamics iii) assess and analyze natural forest structure in West Africa and iv) study the potential of NTFPs in increasing rural populations livelihood conditions.

Prof Glèlè Kakai’s research since 2000 up to now has yielded more than 120 scientific publications in peer-reviewed international journals, books, contribution of books and proceedings of scientific conferences and 4 international prizes.

Some publications

1. Gnonlonfoun I., Glèlè Kakaï R., Salako V.K., Assogbadjo A.E., Ouédraogo A. (2015). Structural analysis of regeneration in tropical dense forest: combined effect of plot and spatial distribution patterns. Acta botanica gallica 162(1): 79-87. (IF=0.24).
2. Azihou A.F., Glèlè Kakaï R., Sinsin B. (2014). Importance of functional traits and regional species pool in predicting long-distance dispersal in savanna ecosystems. Plant ecology 215(6): 651-660. (IF=1.64)
3. Houeto G., Glèlè Kakaï R., Salako K. V., Assogbadjo A., Fandohan B., Sinsin B., Palm R. (2013). Effect of inventory plot patterns in the floristic analysis of tropical woodland and dense forest. African journal of ecology 52, 257–264. (IF=1.00)
4. Salako V., A Tinuke, Glèlè Kakaï R. (2013). On The Empirical Performance Of Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling In Vegetation Studies. International journal of applied mathematics and statistics 36(6):54-67 (Indexed)
5. Glèlè Kakaï R., Palm. R. (2009). Empirical comparison of error rate estimators in logistic discriminant analysis. Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation 79(2): 111-120. (IF=0.778)

 

Christel Kénou, Social Media Reporter , African University Day

Christel Kénou, Social Media reporter for #AUDAY2015

My name is Christel Kénou, from Benin (West Africa). I am Agricultural engineer and head of non gouvernmental organization named Young Pioneers for Development which is involved in the protection of environment since two years ago. I am also Volunteer at Junior Chamber Internationale Cotonou Zenith in Benin since 3 years.

I am delighted to be part of the group of online social media reporter for the African University day. As online social media reporter, i learn a new method to generate good tweet. This activity helps me to design tweet picture for the first time. My online activity also helps me to make more new friend and increase my network. This was a great experience for me.

I had some experience on social media reporting for others events such as #Fin4Ag, #Forests2015 , #WACOAg3, #CPAF15 and so one. However, #AUDAY2015 is one the exciting that i have attended.

I hope to keep in touch with all the others online reporters for more sucess in the promotion of African events.

Mrs. Sandra Howard

Associate Professor of Sociology at UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA

Previous  LIBERIA ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, LIBERIA GOVERNANCE COMMISSION

 

With a background in Law, Social Work, and Sociology; and specialization in the subject matter of Anti-Corruption, Atty. Sandra K. Howard is an experienced Development Specialist with over Thirty-one (31) cumulative years of National, International and Sub-regional experience in the fields of Governance Reform Policy Formulation; Regional Decentralization Program Development; Population IEC development and training; National/Local Population Project Development, Management, Social Research and related activities.

My experience as online social media reporter

I have always seen social media as distracting media that it is used by youth to tell history. I never knew that It can do better than telling history.

As online social media reporter, I realized that social media can educate and raise awareness.

As social media reporter, I learnt how to tweet. I had never used it before. it also helped me to communicate to wider audience.

With my posts, I got contacted by people that I did not before. That means my posts went beyond my circle.

I received and I continue to receive friend request, People that I did not know before.

One more thing that I learnt is that, I can combine my facebook with twitter. Thus, once I post on tweet, it automatically post it on twitter.

Social media helps me to share knowledge with some colleagues.

Online social media reporting

Social Media Reporting was an experimental learning course I decided to engage in, two months back and has proven to be an awesome experience. Being part of over 100 Online Social Media Reporters for the 2015 African University Day with the Association of African Universities gave me a chance to interact with people around Africa on different social media platforms.

This initiative gave me an insight on the notion of  Internationalisation of Higher Education,its evolving traits and what the future entails for Africa in teams of Higher education is concerned.

By being part of this project, my social entrepreneurship skills have upgraded to a better level. I have developed a better understanding of the values of strategising and planning before selecting channels to use and have impact in the international community.

Through this online initiative, space and time have been conquered giving African Universities’ day recognition to the international community. Led by Pope Okot, our team managed  to keep continuous updates on our daily objectives of the project. Okot played a crucial part in reminding our team on the daily goals throughout the lengthy project.

Social media reporting has revealed to me how a social media entrepreneur needs to have a well detailed strategy and plan that will drive the focus and keep the one on track about the agenda at hand.

For Social media reporting to improve the initiative there is need to employ tactical approach by keeping in contact with its alumni and offer training sections to new participants before beginning the media reporting.

The initiative can employ curator-ship to advance their social reporting and brand awareness.

An Exciting Experience as “Online Social Media Reporter for the African University Day 2015 (#AUDAY2015)” : Ghislain BAPPA S. M.

 

“A vision without action is a dream, an action without a vision is a waste of time meanwhile a vision followed by an action can change the world”.

The Association of African Universities (AAU) had a vision which they shared to us, online social media, with regards to the AUDAY2015. It was the main vision for all the team groups mobilized for the event but as far as each and every social media reporter was concerned, one could define and graft  side visions on it for a personal purpose. I for one, visualized that this great vision shall enhance a great change in my social media reporting skills, abilities and capabilities.  I started up in a some sort ofslow motion but as time went by, the level of implication accrued considerably. We were to carry out so many task of different caliber and aim, starting from taking a selfie with a paper on which was written” I am an online social media for the AUDAY2015”, passing through making a picture paste of a university of a town nearest to you, to doing some research on a renowned professor of a university close to you and painting a picture of how you perceive African Higher education institutions in the future. Each of these activities, exciting at their own pace, developed enthusiasm in the heart of all those who gave themselves in the game.

In a month, i upgraded my skills as far as Social media reporting was concerned and i did learn much on the AAU and internationlisation of African Higher Education Institutions as well. it broadened my perception of the african universities in terms of mandates, policies making, decision making, curricula programs given out to youth in various african countries, some renowned lecturers and professors in their respective skill of competencies just to name a few. One thing sure is that we still have a long way to go in order to promote exemplerary young leaders of tommorow, born, grown and formed in Africa, who know their cultures and shall be able to transmit it to the international community no matter where they shall have to express themselves, for their proper sake and that of their nation and continent as well.

With regards to the quality of the team work as far as social media reporting is concerned, many were mobilizd but not much were that proactive to respect at most 75 % of all what were elaborated on the guidelines of the #SMReporting leaflet. To say that, it was worth for the team leaders to get close to every team member to perceive their difficulty or contraints to carry the task properly. Also, it would have been a plus if all the online social media reporter were to follow each other so as to create more visibility and fostering a more cool atmosphere among the members on the thematics outlined. So, it could be much interesting if next time, before launching the process, can gather the whole team for a day to sensitize on the necessity to get involved, create an enticing and joyful environment so that team members and leaders can cooperate for effectively without any worry or fear…

To close it up, it was a real pleasure, for me, for have participated in one way or the other in the fulfillement of the AAU’s vision for the AUDAY2015. Much had to be done to promote the visibility campaign and guess those who felt it the way i did contributed so as to make it a reality. The statistics where amazing to hear and read off after the main event. thus demonstrating our efficiency and effectiveness to render it a success…

Association of African universities (AAU) : #AUDAY2015 : African University Day 2015

Ghislain BAPPA SE Marc, Online #SocialMediaReporter

 

 

My experience as an Online Social Media Reporter for the 2015 African University Day.

As an Online Social Media Reporter for the 2015 African University Day; i experienced a lot of things;

1. I got experience of Volunteering for an international body that sees or govern the operations of higher institution.
2. Secondly i got the chance to work with many group of people and of different calibers like Dr, professors, great lecturers and students from different institution.
3. Thirdly it made me to have the chance to interview and profiled one of the most outstanding lecturer at our local University i.e Prof. Dr Christopher Oyat of Gulu University.
4. The Social Media has increased my efficiency level in responding to work place before me and it has improved my writing skills on the social media and communication skills.
5. It has been fun seeing post from different people all over Africa and the world.

My recommendations

1. The association should give prizes for the volunteers after the exercise.
2. The Association should continue to give certificates to the social media reporters both electronic and hard copy.
3. The association should offer recognition for some lecturers who has greatly contribution to the different developments of Higher Education in Africa in terms of certificates etc.
4. The association should look for scholarship position or offer scholarship for the social media reports.
5. The association should offer exchange visits for the social media reporters.

 

African University Day – Online Reporting experiences

Being appointed an Online Social media reporter for African University Day, on 11th October 2015 grabbed my attention with great excitement.

Though sacrifices were numerous, the benefits were worth the time and commitment. I not only cemented my social media reporting skills but got to learn so much about our very potential continent especially on learning opportunities and challenges.

Of much interest is learning of various great institutions of higher learning , programmes offered and countless opportunities for us to advance of professionalism and vital skills.

I have truly acknowledged the immense potentiality of our institutions of higher learning in steering the economic development for Africa. Though we’ve to agree on the prerequisites which include but not limited to internationalization of the the curricula, focus on research, capacity building and global collaboration.

This great opportunity presented a window to meet and interact with like-minded peers likes of Doreen Musarurwa, Victoria Mbigidde, Juanitta Djoleto, Brenda Mboya, Ghislain, and Epiphane. I with no doubts enjoyed the good challenge we had together.

Like all other social media reporters the expectation to inform the whole continent on the key event on the hashtag #AUDAY2015 as well as other ‘mini’ events was quite exciting.

I have with no reservation acknowledged the informative capabilities of the social media platforms; twitter, blogs, Facebook and Google plus. Our institutions can capitalize on these powerful communication tools to enhance collaboration, consortia and exchange programmes.

On the 21st century, the world is truly a global village. there is every reason for Africa to be one in all aspects. I challenge ourselves to raise the bar for the immediate and future generations.

Informing Africa on the African University Day, which was successfully held on 12th November 2015 at Ashesi University, is an impact-fully  long lasting experience.