Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye

Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu EZEMONYE, PhD, FNES, FSESN, FAS is the Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University Okada (IUO). He is a renowned Professor of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Forensics with over 30 years’ experience in research and teaching. A Visiting Professor to Lancaster University, United Kingdom (UK), who has served as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), under two separate Vice Chancellors. Prior to becoming the Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University Okada, Professor Ezemonye was the Pioneer Director of the National Centre for Energy and Environment of the Energy Commission of Nigeria.

He has served as member, Governing Council, College of Education (now Tayo Akpata University) Ekiadolor, Benin City (1999-2004); member, Governing Council, University of Benin (2014-2016). He also served as Chairman/Coordinator for the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, University of Benin and immediate past Chairman of the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB), University of Benin. Professor Ezemonye is the National President of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), a distinguished Fellow of the Nigerian Environmental Society (FNES), Fellow of Solar Energy Society of Nigeria (FSESN), and Advisor of West African Society of Toxicology (WASOT). Professor Ezemonye has established university research linkages in Africa, Asia, Canada, United Kingdom and the USA. Professor Ezemonye has spent a large part of his life in research. As one of the foremost Ecotoxicologists in Nigeria, his research interest spans across Environmental Toxicology and Forensics.

He has published over one hundred and thirty (130) scientific papers in local and international journals in Heavy Metal Pollution Studies, Ecological Risk Assessment, Bio-Marker, Endocrine Disruption Mechanisms, Chemical, Pesticide and Fish/Amphibian Toxicology. He has presented over one hundred (100) scientific papers at international and national fora, Chairman of sessions and Keynote/Guest Speaker at over ninety (90) conferences, seminars and workshops.

Professor Ezemonye is a recipient of the NEST/Ford Foundation Research Award (1994), World Bank sponsored Population Research Fund Project Recipient (1997/1998), UNDP sponsored Project Awardee (1998, 2001), National Universities Commission (NUC) Research Grant Awardee (2003), Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) spotlight Award (2005), and IPED/UNIDO (2006) International Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Elimination Project Awardee. Interestingly, Professor Ezemonye’s Research Team was awarded the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency’s (ECREEE’s) and ECOWAS Renewable Energy Facility (EREF) Project Award (2012).

Recently (2018) he was made a Champion to popularize the African Union Network of Science (AUNS) by the African Union (AU). Professor Ezemonye is also a recipient of the Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) grant for the International Toxicology Symposium in Africa from 2012 to 2017 and a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) research grant recipient for 2014 and 2016. He is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) for the 6.8 million pounds RECIRCULATE project, funded by the Research Council of the United Kingdom (UK), under the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) in partnership with the University of Lancaster, UK from 2017 to 2020.

A Project Partner on One Ocean Hub, a 20 Million Pounds Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) project in collaboration with University of the Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Professor Ezemonye’s advocacy on Renewable Energy Deployment has over fifty (50) published papers on Renewable Energy and Environment at both local and international fora. Some of which are: integration of Environmental Concerns in the utilization of energy Research Development, Demonstration and Deployment (R&D3) Models for Renewable Energy in Nigeria.

Professor Ezemonye is currently one of the Nigerian representatives on World Energy Council (WEC), UK study committee on Energy Resources and Policy Assessment, a contributing author of the World Energy Trilemma 2013, and The Grand Transition of World Energy Scenarios 2016 documentation of WEC. A former National Focal Point with African Energy Commission (AFREC); Member of the Nigerian delegation to the 21st World Energy Congress, 2010, Montreal, Canada; Member of the Nigerian Energy Delegation to Canada, 2011 (Montreal, Quebec Province; Winnipeg, Manitoba Province; Calgary & Edmonton, Alberta Province; Vancouver, British Colombia Province; Toronto and Ottawa); Member of the Nigerian delegation to 2011 World Energy Council Executive Assembly, Oran, Algeria. He was one of the country’s representatives to the Executive Assembly of the World Energy Council, held in Monaco, France in 2012.

He was also a member of the Nigerian delegation to the 22nd World Energy Congress (WEC), 2013, Daegu, Korea and member of Energy Institute, UK. Professor Ezemonye’s academic deliverables include successful supervision of several postgraduate students, and he is currently an External Examiner and Professorial Assessor to several universities in Nigeria. The professional profile of Professor Ezemonye showed that he has served as an Environmental Consultant for World Bank, UNESCO, WWF, UNDP, UNIDO, African Union-Science Technical Research Commission (AU-STRC) and multi-national oil companies such as SPDC, Mobil PLC and AGIP PLC. He has also consulted for several Federal and State Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) sponsored Environmental/Ecotoxicological projects from 1992 to date, spanning over 50 consultancies. Professor Ezemonye has held many and varied academic and administrative positions. He is also a member of many Council committees and other University committees. AWARDS

Professor Ezemonye has been decorated with over fifty (50) awards and recognitions, ranging from fellowships, awards of excellence, prestigious leadership awards, awards of honour, certificates of appreciation, meritorious awards, distinguished alumni awards, peace awards from institutions, associations, societies and communities.