April 20, (THEWILL) – The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), has appointed Professor Lateef Oladimeji Sanni, as the new Executive Director of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin.
Professor Sanni replaced Dr Patricia Pessu, who retired from service on the 14th of April, 2023. He is expected to assume duty on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Sanni graduated from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), with Second Class Upper Division in the Department of Food Science and Technology in 1990. He obtained Master’s and PhD Degrees in the Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, in 1993 and 1999.
He joined FUNAAB in 1993 as Assistant Lecturer, became a Professor of Food Science and Technology in 2008, presented his inaugural lecture in 2015 and became Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) in 2017.
Sanni won the 2008 Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Award, for Regional Technology Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He has over 27 years experience in research, consultancy and collaborations as a postharvest expert on tropical root crops mostly implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Root Crop and Natural Resources Institute, UK.
Sanni is a project leader to multi-million dollar EU/Gates Foundation-sponsored projects since 2008 till date.
He served as a resource person for the World Bank upscaling of flash drying experience in West Africa. He was the Principal Investigator, the Food Developers Initiative and Food Science and Nutrition Network sponsored by Association of African Universities.
He is the Vice Chair, Steering Committee of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development, and former National President, the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Sanni has mentored over 20 junior academics across three continents. He has trained well over 100 BSc, 30 MSc and 18 PhD graduates with well over 100 scientific publications in National and International Journals, Proceedings, reports, reviews, and books.
He was a former Editorial Member of International Journal of Food Science and Technology and a reviewer to many journals at the National and international levels.
Prof. Lateef Oladimeji Sanni, is the Chairman of Governing Council of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, Oyo State, Nigeria, the Immediate Past President, International Society for Tropical Root Crops (African Branch) and President, International Society for Tropical Root Crops.
