Professor Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela

• Email:

  oogunmoyela@cafsani.org

  Education Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela attended the prestigious Government College Ibadan, Nigeria and later graduated from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in June 1975, where he obtained a BSc (Agriculture) Hons degree in Agricultural Biochemistry and Nutrition with a Second Class Upper Division. He later obtained the MSc degree in Food Technology, specializing in Quality Assurance in 1978 and also a PhD degree in Food Technology in 1981 from the University of Reading, Whiteknights, in the United Kingdom. He qualified as a Chartered Chemist of the Society for Chemistry and Industry in the United Kingdom in 1982 On completion of his PhD in the United Kingdom in December 1981, he returned to Nigeria where he has acquired wide-ranging post-qualification career experiences of almost forty years in research, academics and industry with a track record of innovations and achievements. He later attended the prestigious Lagos Business School where he obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Advanced Management in September 1997. He has been Professor of Food Science and Technology since 2006 at the Bells University of Technology, Abeokuta.    Membership and Contribution to Professional Associations He was a member of the European Chemoreception Research Organization between 1978 and 1983 whilst working under the tutelage of Prof Gordon Birch at the National College of Food Technology, Weybridge, of the University of Reading. He was also an active member of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (UK), where he enjoyed Conference Fellowships in 1978 and 1980, until he returned to Nigeria in 1982, when he joined the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology where he became a Fellow of the Institute in 2001. He was also elected Fellow of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), in 2012. Externally, he is a Professional Member of the Institute of Food Technologists, USA, which he joined since 1998, contributing immensely to the active recruitment and mobilization of IFT members in Nigeria and West Africa. He was Chairman, Scientific and Training Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, 1988-1990; Chairman, Western Chapter of the Institute, 1991-1993; Member, Editorial Board of the Nigerian Food Journal, 1983-1985, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal 1985-1993 when he resigned because of other professional commitments. He is the immediate past Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Food Journal, a position he held between 2010 and 2013. Under his leadership, the Nigerian Food Journal, which is the flagship Journal of the institute was significantly transformed in quality, visibility and readership, as has been widely acknowledged by his peers. He was elected Chairman, Body of Fellows of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology in October 2013, a position he remained until October 2019. Also in October 2019, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Awatd of the Institute for his contributions to the profession of Food Science and Technology during the Annual Conference in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. He is also a Registered Public Analyst and a Fellow of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria where he currently holds the position of First National Vice Chairman of Council. Between 2010 and 2013, he was the Chairman of the Membership and Examinations Committee of the Institute, where his sterling qualities of integrity and transparency helped to entrench enduring values and widespread credibility in the examination process of the Institute.   Career Progression and Accomplishments He started his professional career in the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria where he was part of the pioneering team that established the production of Kola wines from the nuts of Cola nitida, which has been a commercial success now for over two decades. He moved to the University as a member of the Faculty staff of the University of Jos, Nigeria between 1984 and 1987. He was also Associate Professor and Pioneer Head of Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria between 1987 and 1992 before proceeding to a 15-year industry sojourn in January 1992. During this period, he held various General Management positions in Technical, Production and Commercial roles in both Cadbury Nigeria and Honeywell Flour Mills Limited, Lagos before returning to the University as a Full Professor in 2006. As Technical Manager in the multi-national Cadbury Nigeria Plc, he led several new product initiatives, which include the successful research, development and commercial introduction of the following: 1) Bournvita Fortification with Vitamins & Minerals, the first commercially successful voluntary fortification project initiative for this chocolate beverage in Nigeria completed and launched in 1994; 2) Dadawa, the first indigenous cubed local condiment produced from a locust beans-soybean blend in West Africa; 3) Cheff Peppersoup cubes, the first commercially successful convenience product from indigenous herbs and spices in Africa widely popular for use in local soup preparations; 4) Sorghum malt extracts of internationally acceptable standard from local grains for multi-national breweries in Nigeria; 5) Canned Cheff Tomato Puree from field harvested tomatoes to the canned product, which successfully replaced imports. Apart from Technical responsibility for Research and Development, Quality Assurance and Environmental Management for several years, he was at various times Purchasing Manager with responsibility for all procurement activities of the company (1994-1996). He was also a Business Unit Manager with responsibility for Production and Engineering Maintenance activities in the Food Drinks factory of over 700 staff and the Foods factory before exit in December 2001. As Director of Quality Assurance at Honeywell Flour Mills Limited, he also led the following successful initiatives: 1) Achievement of the first successful certification to ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System for a Flour Milling Company in over 50 years of Flour Milling in Nigeria, for Honeywell Flour Mills Limited as project leader, sole facilitator and management representative in November 2005. 2) Member of the National Technical Committee for the Introduction of the Mandatory Fortification standards program in Nigeria in 2002, for flour, sugar and vegetable oils 3) As Flour Milling Sector Representative, provided assistance in the training of Entrepreneurs and Establishment of several small-scale industries and Promotion of the 10% National Cassava Inclusion Policy initiative for the processing and inclusion of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) into wheat flour and other products which was a fore-runner to the current Bill and Melinda Gates Project on Cassava: Adding Value to Africa (C:AVA)   Post-Industry Academic Career Accomplishments Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela voluntarily resigned as Director of Quality Assurance in Honeywell Flour Mills Lagos, and took the unusual step in these shores, of returning to the University as a Professor of Food Technology in November 2006. In this position, some of his major accomplishments include the following: 1) He holds the distinction of being the first appointed Professor of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Nigeria where he has also been Dean of the College of Food Sciences since 2006. 2) He was appointed as the first Country Technical Consultant to GAIN, (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) based in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2007 backstopping all GAIN activities in Nigeria and some West African countries, on Food Fortification, Infant and Young Child Nutrition and the Business Alliance until the establishment of the GAIN office in Nigeria in April 2011. 3) As Senior Technical Advisor to GAIN, he was involved in several projects aimed at improving the quality of life for the most vulnerable populations, which represent over 72% of the 192 million population. 4) He was the Project Co-ordinator for the GAIN-Bells University of Technology, Ota first ever Large-Scale Compliance Study of the Mandatorily Fortified Foods in Nigeria conducted in 2012, which made startling revelations on the fortification initiative after one decade. The findings from the study were presented, accepted by various partners for necessary corrective policy and management actions before the work was published in the Nigerian Food Journal Volume 32 (2), 2013 (Ogunmoyela et al, 2013). 5) He led the successful establishment and management of a University Bakery and the Central Teaching and Analytical Research Laboratory, both of which have become successful as commercial and training centres for students and young professionals and entrepreneurs from various walks of life. 6) Mentoring of over 250 food professionals to date all over the country, and Technical support for the management of local food industries and leading various policy initiatives in the Food and Beverage sector on different platforms. For example, he successfully led the delegation of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) to the admission into the National Council of Agriculture in 2013, which had been in existence for over 40 years. He has also continued to render pro-bono services to many small-scale and start-up companies apart from serving on Boards of some companies in the food and beverage sector. 7) He has served as Business and Quality Consultant to other local and international agencies since 2008. He was Project Technical Consultant to PKL based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on ‘Farinor’, a complementary food for infants(12-36 months, between 2008 and 2011. He also consulted for the Institute of Development Studies in the United Kingdom. He represented the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) as Trainer of Cassava Processing Entrepreneurs in Nigeria for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Cassava initiative (Cassava: Adding Value for Africa Project –CAVA) in Nigeria as well as Cassava Flour Processors and Bakers in the quest for upgrade of Baking Technology in Nigeria. 8) With the relevant industry experience, he pioneered the first-ever Bachelor of Technology curriculum in Food Science with Business in Nigeria as an option under the Food Technology programme which has achieved full accreditation status by the National Universities Commission in Nigeria. 9) He has also recently promoted the establishment and registration of a local lobby group, a Not-for-Profit Organization in 2019 known as Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI), in response to the escalating need for Consumer protection, sensitization, enlightenment and awareness of increasing nutrition and food safety challenges and abuses in the country.     Academic Contributions Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela is one of very few scientists to have had a unique career experience spanning, Research, Academics and Industrial Sectors in Nigeria, thus combining theory and practice over the last forty-four years. He is a Professor of Professors while many of his former students today also hold key Senior Executive positions in industry both locally and abroad. Despite his fifteen-year career break in industry, he has over 60 publications in leading Journals, Refereed Proceedings and authored Books. He is or has in addition been a reviewer for the Nigerian Food Journal, the international Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, and the Institute of Development Studies of the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. He has supervised over 40 undergraduate projects and 4 graduate projects and has served as external examiner at all levels in various Universities. Some of his contributions from research, product development and extension perspectives can be summarized in the following scientific publications:   SOME PUBLISHED JOURNAL ARTICLES 1. BIRCH, G. G. and OGUNMOYELA, O. A. (1980): Effect of surfactants on the taste and flavour of drinking chocolate. Journal of Food Science, 45, 4 981- 984. 2. BIRCH, G. G. and OGUNMOYELA, O.A (1980): Taste properties of cocoa drinks with an added bitter-sweet sugar: Intensity –Time effects. Journal of Food Technology, United Kingdom (now int. Journal of Food Science & Technology), 15, 549 –555. 3. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. (1981): Surfactants in Taste Modification, Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture, 336, 592-593. 4. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and BIRCH, G.G (1982): Physicochemical aspects of Sweetness in cocoa drinks. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chem., 30 77-81. 5. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and BIRCH, G. G. (1982): Sucrose-surfactant interaction and sweet taste of cocoa. Progress in Food and Nutrition Science, 6, 373-378. 6. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and BIRCH, G.G (1983): Intrinsic significance of molecular aggregation in sucrose-surfactant separation by dialysis.  Food Chemistry, 4, 229-240. 7. OGUNMOYELA, O.A (1983); Prospects for cashew apple processing and utilization in Nigeria.  Process Biochemistry, Vol. 18, No 2, 6 –7. 8. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and BIRCH, G. G. (1984): Sensory considerations in the replacement of sucrose by other carbohydrate sweeteners in chocolate. Journal of Food Science, 49, 4, 1024 – 1027; 1056. 9. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and BIRCH, G. G. (1984): Effect of sweetener type and lecithin on hygroscopicity and mould growth in dark chocolate. Journal of Food Science, 49, 4 1088-1089; 1142. 10. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and OBATOLU, C. R. (1984): Nutrient status and fertilizer requirements of Nigerian tea, ‘Café, Cacao, The Vol. XXVIII, 3 179-184. 11. AKINPELU, O. A. and OGUNMOYELA, O. A. (1988); Quality aspects of locally manufactured soft drinks: An assessment. Food Science and Technology Today 2, 2, 104-109. 12. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. (1988): The use of steam blanching for preserving the quality of kolanuts (C. nitida). Food Chemistry, 32, 163-170. 13. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. and ESAN, E. B. (1991); Changes in inorganic composition of Cocoa (Theotroma cacao L.) cotyledons during germination under different nursery shade conditions. Turrialba 40 (4): 509-514. 14. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. B., ARISA, N. U., ANYANWU, N. U. (2011). Effects of some thermal processing methods on the caffeine content and colour absorbance of kola nuts. Nigerian Food Journal 29 (2), 28 – 32. 15. OGUNMOYELA O A, ADEKOYENI O, AMINU F and UMUNNA, L O (2013).  Critical Evaluation of Survey Results of Vitamin A and Fe Levels in the Mandatory Fortified Food Vehicles and some Selected Processed Foods in Nigeria. Nigerian Food Journal, 31, (2), 52-62. 16. OGUNMOYELA, O. A. B (2014). Science and Technology of some Traditional Food Processing Habits and Trado-Cultural Practices. Journal of African Culture and International Understanding 9(3): 26-30 17. OGUNMOYELA, O A B, JIMOH, M O, OGABI, O N (2016). Development and Evaluation of a Multi-Heat Source Deep Fat Fryer. African Journal of Food Science and Technology, http://www.interesjournals.org/AJFST 7 (3), 051-059 18. AKINROYE, K. K., OLUKOSI, Y. A., ATINMO, T., OMUETI, O., BABASOLA, C. F., IDIGBE, O., ISAH, A., ISOKPUNWU, C. O., MOBOLAJI-LAWAL, O., NASIDI, A., ODIA, O. J., OGUNMOYELA, O. B., OKOJIE, O., ONWUBERE, B. J. C., OSIBOGUN, A., SCHILPZAND, R., & AKINKUGBE, O. O. (2017). Consensus Summit: Lipids and Cardiovascular Health in the Nigerian Population. European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety, 7(2), 109-119. https://doi.org/10.9734/EJNFS/2017/32036 Other Honors and Distinctions He is widely acknowledged as a Food Fortification and Food Safety expert. He has been at the forefront of most fortification initiatives in Nigeria and West Africa over the last 27 years. His contributions in this area have been of significant impact in industry, especially in various trail-blazing initiatives. He has been in the forefront of providing technical fortification solutions to regulatory agencies, industries and multi-lateral NGOs in Nigeria and other West African countries. He is a Senior Technical Advisor to GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), a position he has occupied since 2007 and currently serves with the GAIN-Sun Business Network in Nigeria where he was awarded the FATE Foundation Volunteer of the Year for 2018 for work with Micro and Small-scale industries. He was also pivotal to the establishment of the National Fortification Alliance of which he is a member to date, comprising stakeholders from industry, government, NGOs, media and academia. Under the leadership of the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers, AFBTE, the NFA has since been driving fortification initiatives in Nigeria in collaboration with multi-lateral agencies. Much of this coordinated effort led to the co-authorship of the Food Fortification Training Manual (a NIFST Initiative published in collaboration with colleagues by UNAAB with the assistance of the AAU/MRCI Cycle 325-2010 Project Grant.     Contributions to IFT As a distant member, Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela has participated in online surveys and attended special integrating sessions during the Annual IFT Annual Conferences and Exhibitions where he has been regular on the circuit over the last 22 years in various cities including Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. He volunteered for IFT Jury service in 2015 and was invited in the category of Graduate Scholarship Awards. In 2019, he was nominated on the recommendation of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology for Jury service, which he carried out in the Kellogg’s Excellence Awards category. • He has been a major canvasser and mobilizer for IFT within the West African Sub- region using the various platforms that have already been outlined. It is evident that he has made significant contributions to global food security in this part of the world where the challenges of increasing hunger, poverty, malnutrition and under-nutrition are unparalleled and need to be arrested with scaling up nutrition (SUN) initiatives and corrective policy actions so that ‘we can feed the future’. He was invited to join the Global Food Safety Advisory Panel in 2017 and lately through his NGO, “Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative” (CAFSANI) he has sought to change the narrative in Food Safety and Nutrition issues. He has also been in the forefront of promoting the affiliation of the West African Association of Food Science and Technology with the Institute of Food Technologists, USA, where he is a member of the international Division, attending its meetings annually during IFT Conferences. He was the prime initiator of the IFT-NIFST Nigerian Forum (INNF) which he started informally since 2010 by bringing all delegates together until it was formally adopted in 2016, paving the way for the participation of some IFT delegates at the NIFST Annual General Meeting / Conference in October 2017 at Abuja, Nigeria. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the last IFT Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, although he was a registered delegate, because of delays in the renewal process for Immigrant Visas in Nigeria. Personalia In secular life, Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela is an ordained Minister of God, a Deacon of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a 2010 Post-Graduate Diploma in Theology with Distinction from the Redeemed Christian Bible College, Nigeria and is a Jerusalem Pilgrim; he is a God-fearing Christian, happily married to Yemi, a Chartered Accountant and Group Chief Compliance Officer for First Bank of Nigeria, and they are blessed with children and grandchildren. Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela, PhD, FNIFST, FIPAN, Chartered Chemist Professor of Food Science and Technology, Foundation Dean, College of Food Sciences & Immediate Past Dean, Postgraduate School Bells University of Technology, Ota, Nigeria Senior Technical Advisor, GAIN-SBN Nigeria Senior Technical Advisor, Technoserve Member, Global Advisory Panel for Food Safety (2017) FATE Foundation Volunteer of the Year 2018 for work with MSMEs Vice Chairman, Council of Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) Vice President, Society of Laboratory Testing Analysts of Nigeria (SoTLAN)