Professor Gabriel Oladipo Oluwadare obituary
Born on 20th September 1951 and passed away on the 25th of June 2022. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.
Professor Gabriel Oladipo Oluwadare (formerly Egundebi) was born on 20th September 1951, to late James Owoyele Egundebi and late Abigail Adebola Egundebi in Ilesha, Osun state. He grew up in PA 14, Omioko, Isokun Street, Ilesa. He attended Salvation Army Primary School, Isokun, Ilesa, Local Authority Secondary Modern School Ifewara, Doherty Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), Ijero-Ekiti, Christ School, Ado-Ekiti and the University of Sheffield, UK.
Prof. Oluwadare obtained his West African School Certificate and Higher School Certificate (HSC) from DMGS and Christ School between 1970 and 1972. In 1977, he graduated with a BMet from the University of Sheffield. He was very proud of the world of materials and smelting. He likened it to the work of his father, who was a bicycle and watch repairer, at his shop at A51, Adeti Street in Ilesa.
For his National Youth Service, he worked as an Assistant Production Metallurgist with Makeri Smelting Company Limited, Jos (September 1977 to July 1978). In August 1978, he joined the Nigerian Steel Development Authority (now Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited) as Metallurgist and rose to Senior Metallurgist within a short period. During his time at the company, he attended international training at Bokaro Steel Plant, India, and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
In 1981, he returned to the University of Sheffield on the Federal government and the University of Ife secured scholarships for a master’s degree. He obtained his M.Met in Metallurgy. On his return to Nigeria, he went back to Ajaokuta and in March of 1983, he became an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of Ife. Later, he returned to the University of Sheffield on study leave to pursue a PhD, which he obtained in 1987.
He was promoted to Lecturer I in January 1988, embarked on a Sabbatical Leave to the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited as a Senior Consultant with Engineering Consultants Nigeria (ENCON) between June 1993 to September 1994, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer I in October 1996.
During this period, Prof. Oluwadare taught many courses across various areas of Materials Science and Engineering. Over the years, he was famous for his approach to teaching MSE 202: Introduction to Metallurgy, which broadened the horizon of his students and dissuaded most of them from changing to other engineering courses. Teaching this course, he encouraged many students to study Materials Science and Engineering, MSE 605: Computer Aided Modelling, Design, and Manufacture through fascinating case studies. He supervised one PhD and seven MSc graduates.
He was the departmental post-graduate tutor for six years (1995-2001) and the acting Head of the Department for almost three years (1988-1991). He represented the Faculty of Technology on the Board of Postgraduate College (1997-2001), a review panel of the Division of Works and Maintenance (1999-2004), and associate editor, Ife Journal of Technology (2001-2004). He served the University Community as a member of the Senate (March 1988-July 1991), a standing committee of the congregation (1988), and a hall fellow of the Murtala Mohammed Postgraduate Hall (January 1995-July 1999).
His research focused on the beneficiation of locally available minerals in Nigeria. He worked on the beneficiation characteristics of Nigerian ores by investigating the solidification characteristics of Itakpe and Chokochoko iron ore sinters and applied cyanide solution from cassava to extract Ilesha gold. He was one of the few researchers in Materials Science and Engineering in sub-Saharan Africa to embrace the possibility of using computer-aided processing in materials selection, metal solidification, and optimization of parameters in the iron blast furnaces.
Prof. G. O. Oluwadare spent twenty-three years, seven months, and eight days as a staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, during which he met his wife, Abimbola Akintunde (married September 7, 1991) and had five children.
In 2005, he joined Covenant University, where he was the Head of the Mechanical Engineering department, wrote the curriculum for undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and expanded from Materials and Metallurgy to Industrial Chemistry. He joined Bells University in 2008, where he was the pioneer Dean and founding professor for engineering programs. During his time, he published several journals, dissertations and supervised numerous undergraduates and postgraduate students. In addition, he worked as an adjunct lecturer at other universities, including Achievers University Owo, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Crawford University, Igbesa, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and Achievers University, Owo.
He dedicated his life to God through his contribution to the growth of the church, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in particular. He joined RCCG in 1995 and shortly after got ordained as a Deacon. When the church started, he took up the challenge of producing the weekly Church Bulletin. He also pioneered other RCCG churches across Osun state like RCCG Greater Works parish, RCCG MercyLand parish, RCCG Gbongan and many others. He joined RCCG Mega Grace parish when he moved to Ota. He was a pioneer pastor of RCCG Christ Way parish, Onibuku. Until his passing, he attended RCCG Highly Favored parish, Onibuku, Ota.
He was an avid reader and he loved to travel. In his lifetime, he visited Germany - Dusseldorf, Koblenz, Bon and Koln, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, India, Canada, United Kingdom, Austria, Russia and many more.
He retired in September 2021 and passed away on the 25th of June 2022, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Abimbola; children, Ayomide, Eniola, Oreoluwa, Mofiyinfoluwa, Mosopefoluwa; and grandchildren, Tifeoluwa, Ayodeji and Semilore.
His favourite prayer line was "that place of glory God has ordained for each and every one of us; we will get there in Jesus' name". He lived a life dedicated to God, family, and academia, and he has transitioned to the glorious place he always dreamed about.