Professor Olubukola Oluranti BABALOLA Pr.Sci.Nat., MASSAF, FASLP, FTWAS, FAS, the Vice President of OWSD, is an NRF rated scientist with over 20 years of research experience focusing on rhizosphere metagenomics, coupled with an MBA in General Management. She has consistently advocated using biofertilizers over & above chemical fertilizers for plant health management. Her effort for SDG 2 “Zero Hunger” in the continent of Africa for food security & sustainable agriculture is helping farmers, women, & all food lovers. She is the incumbent Research Director of the Food Security & Safety Focus Area at NWU. Her laboratory attracts students from worldwide. Olubukola is a member of the editorial board for Applied and Environmental Microbiology (American Society for Microbiology, USA), BMC Microbiology (Elsevier), and Biochemistry & Biophysics Reports (Elsevier). She has received many awards, including being the finalist, GenderInSite 2020. She is passionate about capacity building & has graduated 26 doctoral fellows, 24 masters, and numerous Honors students. Olubukola is a prolific author with about 300 publications. Her most recent Springer edited book is entitled “Food Security and Safety: Africa’s Perspective.” She is an AAAS-TWAS Science diplomacy alumnus, impacting the world after the eye-opening awareness of policymaking, diplomacy, and diplomatic engagement. She is now taking action using the gender lens and forging collaborations with diplomats. She is a fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF), and the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS). Her wealth of international experience spans the universe. She enjoys international collaborations, research grants, and many awards.

Dr. Ayansina Segun Ayangbenro is a postdoctoral fellow at North-West University, South Africa. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria and his PhD from North-West University. He is a recipient of NRF/TWAS 2016 Doctoral fellowship Award. His research interests include the ecology of soil microorganism and recycling of nutrients, and plant-microbe interactions. Ayansina has authored and co-authored many peer-reviewed journal articles published in reputable national and international journals. He is a member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions and the Society for Applied Microbiology.

Dr. Omena Bernard Ojuederie is a seasoned researcher and academic with plant genetics and biotechnology expertise. His research focuses on biodiversity assessment and phylogenetic studies of underutilized crops, plant tissue culture, molecular biology, plant-microbe interactions, and improving food security in Africa. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Underutilized Legumes and a grantee of the International Foundation for Science (IFS) Sweden. He was a postdoctoral research fellow and currently an Extraordinary Senior Lecturer of the Food Security and Safety Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa. In addition, he is a Senior Lecturer in the Biotechnology Unit of the Department of Biological Sciences, Kings University, Nigeria, where he also serves as the Acting. Director of Research and Linkages and Acting Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance.