PROF. JULIAN ONYEWUONYEOMA OSUJI

Professor Julian Onyewuonyeoma Osuji PhD, PHF, FIEO, FRAES, lmispm, mishs, mnes, mgsn, mboson, mnspp, an internationally reputable Molecular Geneticist and Cytotaxonomist is a pure bred University of Port Harcourt Alumnus, who obtained his B.Sc (Hons.) Botany in 1988, M.Sc. (Biosystematics/Plant Taxonomy) in 1991 and Ph.D. (Biosystematics/Plant Taxonomy) in 1995 under the studentship of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture ‘IITA’. Prof Osuji had a UNESCO Post-doctoral Biotechnology-transfer fellowship at the John Innes Centre, Norwich (1996-1998) during which he benefited from Gatsby Foundation’s and IITA’s Post-doctoral and other international research grants.

Prof. Osuji joined the services of University of Port Harcourt on return from Norwich in 1998 as a Lecturer II from which he rose across to the ranks to the Professorial cadre in 2010 in the field of Molecular Genetics and Cytotaxonomy. He was Head of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology (2010 to 2012), Director of Affiliations Unit and Chairman of the University-Wide Accreditations Committee (2016 to 2017). Currently, he is the Director, Regional Centre for Biotechnology and Bioresources research; and South-South Zonal Centre of Excellence, National Biotechnology Development Agency. He is the Principal Investigator & Team Leader, Interdisciplinary Bio-Research Network (IB4 BioNet); and the United States of America’s National Academy of Science Fastlane Administrator for the University of Port Harcourt. He served as Pioneer Dean of School of Science and Computing, Claretian University of Nigeria and Pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Arthur Jarvis University, Cross River State.

Prof. Osuji is a Co-Chair of African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP; https://africanbiogenome.org), an African initiative that deploys Genomics in the service of conservation and improvement of African Biological Diversity; and the Chair of Genomics for the conservation of endangered and endemic species Grand Challenge, Digital Innovation in Africa for Agri-Environment and Conservation. He is a member of two international and seven national professional societies. He served as Vice Chairman and later briefly as Chairman of the South-South Regional arm of Renewable and Alternative Energy Society of Nigeria. He has served in the Editorial Board of two national Newsletters, five national peer-reviewed and six international journals. He has served as both undergraduate and postgraduate External Examiner as well as Professorship Assessor for eight Universities.

With an academic leadership that has spanned many years of teaching and research, he has both singly and jointly authored, and/or edited books in research methods, research presentation and communication for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and more than seventy scientific refereed publications 65 % of which was in reputable indexed international journals including Nature Journal (Nature | Vol 603: pp 388-392 | 17 March 2022). On June 28, 2012, he became the 88th Inaugural lecturer of the University of Port Harcourt with a resounding title: ‘Molecular Genetics: The Soul of Biotechnology in the Fight Against Hunger, Poverty and Disease’.

Professor Osuji has held several awards including: Fellow of the Institute of Export Operations and Management; Fellow of Renewable and Alternative Energy Society of Nigeria ; and Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.