Bashiru Ademola Raji


Bashiru Ademola Raji, is a Nigerian professor of soil science, Pedologist, geologist, environmental impact assessment expert and incumbent Vice chancellor of Fountain University, Osogbo.
He is the second substantive Vice chancellor of the University. His research interest is in the area of soil survey, Land-use planning, environmental impact assessment of natural resource utilization and Pedology, the study of soils in their natural environment. It deals with Pedogenesis, the science and study of the processes that lead to the formation of soil and first explored by the Russian geologist Vasily Dokuchaev. He Is a father of five children, Three males and two females, with the first son being a doctor Raji Teslim, The second being an entrepreneur Raji Abdulhamid, and The third being a genius currently in college with an above average IQ of 146 Raji Abdulbaseer, his first daughter followed inhis footsteps becoming a lecturer, and has a PhD at the bright age of 36 and his last daughter is a law student at the Afe Babalola University.

Background

Raji was born in Offa, a city and Local Government Area located in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria. He obtained a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Geology before he received a Doctorate in soil science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He later obtained a postgraduate diploma in soil survey from the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Science in Enschede, Netherlands.
He began his academic career at Ahmadu Bello University where he became a professor of soil science and served as Dean of student affairs. He served as Assistant Dean of Postgraduate School, Faculty of Agriculture from 2003 - 2005 before he was appointedt as Dean of student affairs. Prior to this, he was Head of the department of soil science, faculty of agriculture, and the director of academic planning and monitoring unit of the university from 2006 to 2008.
In 2003, he became a member of Ahmadu Bello University Senate representative of the Governing Board of National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Services and served in that capacity for two years.
He was formerly a visiting professor at the University of Ilorin where he coordinated the department of forest resources management for two years.
In December 2012, he was appointed as the second substantive Vice chancellor of Fountain University. He succeeded Professor Bukoye Oloyede, the pioneer Vice chancellor of the University.

Honours and recognition

Raji is a fellow of the African Scientific Institute and fellow of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria. He is the secretary of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria.