A professor of Applied Biochemistry at the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, Ganiyu Oboh, has been ranked as Number One in the 2021 ranking of Nigerian scientists by the influential and leading global ranking body, the AD Scientific Index via its 2021 world’s scientists and university rankings.
Oboh was trailed by Professor Olatunbi Farombi, University of Ibadan, and Professor Obinna Onwujekwe , University of Nigeria in second and third place respectively. The AD Scientific Index (Alper-Doger Scientific Index), “unlike other systems that provide evaluations of journals and universities, is a ranking and analysis system based on the scientific performance and the added value of the scientific productivity of individual scientists.
“Furthermore, it provides rankings of institutions based on the scientific characteristics of affiliated scientists. One of the major differences of the AD Scientific Index is the provision of the last five years’ scores and the total scores of the h-index and the i10 index, and the total and last five years’ number of citations. Thus, scientists and universities can obtain their academic rankings and monitor developments in the ranking over time. The ‘AD Scientific Index’, uses a different methodology based on the principle of including only meritorious scientists.”
For the Institution ranking ,University of Ibadan was ranked Number 1, followed by University of Nigeria, University of Calabar, FUTA and Ahmadu Bello University in 2nd, 3RD, 4th and 5th respectively. The “AD Scientific Index” provides both the ranking and analysis results. This report reveals the competency of institutions to attract prized scientists and the ability of institutions to encourage advances and retain scientists.“
Professor Oboh, was admitted to the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Akure where he bagged a B.Tech. Degree in Biochemistry in the year 1992. He later had his M.Tech and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Biochemistry form the same University in 1997 and 2002 respectively. Thereafter, he proceeded to the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria RS, Brazil for his post-doctoral training in Biochemical Toxicology in 2005. He had his second post-doctoral training in Food Biochemistry & Toxicology at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany (2007 – 2008). He joined the service of the Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria in 1997 as a Graduate Assistant, from where he rose to the position of a Professor in 2012.
Prof Oboh’s research works of developing functional food products have become focal points in the search for complementary/alternative therapies for the management of several diseases; this has attracted lots of collaborators within and outside Nigeria. He has published over 400 research articles in refereed journals both locally and internationally, as well as several published conferences proceedings and book chapters. He presently has three patents and two products in the market. It’s noteworthy that he is the researcher with the highest citation on Scopus, ISI Thompson Reuters and Google scholar from his institution as at today. On the national scale, he was ranked Nigeria’s number one biochemist and second best scientist by Scival and another independent Scopus-based survey carried out in Cranfield University, UK. He was ranked among the top 2% Scientist in the World, top 10 in Nigeria and No.1 Food Scientist in Nigeria in the ranking released by Stanford University, USA. He is also No.1 Biochemist in Africa.
In the aspect of human capacity development, he has trained several graduate students including over seventy master (70) students and twenty- six (26) Ph. D graduates who are presently occupying academic positions in their various Universities in Nigeria and abroad. He has attracted lots of research grants to his University through which he has been able to establish two laboratories in his institution; the first and only research laboratory in Nigeria on Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, as well as the largest single research laboratory using Drosophila melanogaster for biomedical research in Nigeria. These laboratories have continued to attract researchers from all over the country.
Undoubtedly, Prof. Ganiyu Oboh has contributed immensely to the life science research in Nigeria with outstanding scientific findings and good human capacity development. He is an active member of some professional and academic bodies such as Nigerian Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, Nigerian Society for Experimental Biology, New York Academy of Sciences, World Academy of Young Scientist, and Accelerator for Sustainable Development of Africa.
Reacting to the feat recorded by Oboh in the AD ranking, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Fuwape, congratulated Oboh, current director of FUTA’s Centre of Research and Development, whom he described as a first rate researcher and consummate academic who has contributed immensely to the development of the body of knowledge in the area of his core competence. He said FUTA will continue to support its members of staff and students in order for them to continue their remarkable showing on the national and international stages.
