Tenure: November 2025 – November 2027
Qualifications: FAEng, FNSE, FNIAE
Immediate Past National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineering (NIAE)
Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Ilorin
Professor Joshua Olanrewaju Olaoye is a distinguished Agricultural Engineer, academic, researcher and professional leader with extensive contributions to agricultural mechanisation, farm power and machinery, post-harvest engineering, renewable energy and sustainable agricultural production in Nigeria.
He obtained his Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Ilorin in 1990, followed by a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in 1995 and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agricultural Engineering in 2004 from the same institution. He joined the University of Ilorin in 1998 as an academic and researcher in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and rose through the academic ranks to become Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 2017.
Academic and Research Contributions
Professor Olaoye’s research has focused extensively on agricultural mechanisation, farm power and machinery, tillage systems, agricultural productivity, machinery development, post-harvest engineering and renewable energy. His work encompasses the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of agricultural machinery, including planting and weeding equipment, as well as studies on soil–machine interaction, land preparation, crop processing and mechanised agricultural production.
He has conducted research on machinery development and processing technologies for several agricultural commodities, including locust bean, castor nut, shea nut, maize, mango and tomato. His more recent research interests extend to aquaculture engineering systems, biofuel technologies, utilisation of sugarcane by-products and the conversion of agricultural residues into environmentally sustainable energy sources such as biogas and briquettes.
A prolific scholar, Professor Olaoye has authored and co-authored more than 130 scientific, technical and professional publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, technical reports and conference proceedings. He has also made significant contributions to postgraduate and undergraduate capacity development, supervising numerous B.Eng., M.Eng. and Ph.D. researchers.
Leadership and Service
Professor Olaoye has held several academic and administrative leadership positions at the University of Ilorin. These include Head, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Pioneer Head, Department of Food Engineering; Sub-Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology; Postgraduate Coordinator; Deputy Director and subsequently Director of the University of Ilorin Renewable Energy Centre (UREC), among other university responsibilities.
His service to the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineering (NIAE) spans many years and reflects a strong commitment to the advancement of the agricultural engineering profession. Before rising to the national leadership of the Institution, he served in several capacities, including Treasurer, Financial Secretary and National Vice Chairman. He also served as Desk Officer for the NIAE–American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Cooperative Agreement and as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (JAET), the professional journal of NIAE.
Professor Olaoye also played significant roles in organising major NIAE conferences. He chaired the Central Planning Committee for the 18th International Conference and 38th National Conference and Annual General Meeting, Umudike 2017, as well as the 19th International Conference and 39th National Conference and Annual General Meeting, Eko 2018.
His years of professional service and leadership culminated in his service as National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineering, where he contributed to strengthening the Institution’s professional standing, programmes, partnerships and commitment to advancing agricultural engineering for national development.
Professional and International Engagement
Professor Olaoye is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineering (FNIAE) and a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). His professional affiliations include the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) and Solar Energy Society of Nigeria (SESN).
He has participated in academic and professional activities across several continents and has received competitive scholarships, fellowships and research awards. These include programmes supported by the Federal Government of Nigeria, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. He has also participated in competitively funded research initiatives, including the Competitive Agricultural Research Grant Scheme (CARGS), Education Trust Fund research programmes and Innovate UK African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership initiatives.
Beyond his personal scholarship, Professor Olaoye has devoted a substantial part of his career to mentoring engineers, researchers and postgraduate students, strengthening professional institutions and promoting technologies capable of improving agricultural productivity and sustainability.
As Immediate Past National Chairman of NIAE, Professor Joshua Olanrewaju Olaoye remains an important member of the Institution’s leadership community and continues to contribute his wealth of academic, professional and institutional experience to the advancement of agricultural engineering in Nigeria.