Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Delivers at FUTA's 157th Inaugural Lecture

Adebayo Adewunmi Emmanuel, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, delivers at FUTA's 157th Inaugural Lecture with the title, “Survival Pursuits and Sustainable Communities.

Adebayo Adewunmi Emmanuel , Professor of Urban and Regional Planning , delivering FUTA's 157th Inaugural Lecture with the title, “Survival Pursuits and Sustainable Communities: Connecting The Dots,” on Tuesday July 18,2023

His Profile 

A native of Ipetu-Ijesa in Oriade LGA of Osun State, Adebayo Adewunmi Emmanuel was born in Lagos on 29th April, 1973. He attended St. Eunan’s Catholic Primary School, Odo-Oba, Ibadan, Oyo State from 1979 to 1982 and Ogba Primary School, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State from 1982 to 1985 for his elementary education. Thereafter, he enrolled at the famous Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos State for his secondary education in 1985 and completed same in 1991. He gained admission into the Federal University of Technology, Akure in 1993 to study Urban and Regional Planning and graduated with Bachelor of Technology degree and as the best graduating student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in 1999. Subsequently, he obtained Master of Technology and Doctoral degrees in Urban and Regional Planning from FUTA in 2003 and 2010, respectively. His brilliance also won him the Federal Government of Nigeria Scholarship Award for Postgraduate Studies in 2002. He has several professional certifications to his credit.

Adebayo Emmanuel started his university teaching career as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University of Technology, Akure, in November 2003. He rose through the academic ranks and was appointed Professor on 1st October, 2018. 

Professor Emmanuel has distinguished himself as a scholar of repute in his area of specialization. He has to his credit over 45 articles in reputable journals, referred conference proceedings and technical reports. He has authored and also made significant contributions to books. He has successfully mentored many young academics in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. He has successfully supervised several Masters and Doctoral degree students to completion and presently supervises two Masters and four Doctoral degree students. He has attended and presented papers at conferences.  

In the course of his education/career, Adebayo Emmanuel has received many awards, most significant of which are:  

i. Vice-Chancellor’s Special Award for Excellence and Productivity (2014 and 2016); and

ii. Honorary Award of Excellence, Urban and Regional Planning Students’ Association of Nigeria (URPSAN), FUTA Chapter (2015).

He has won research grants, both at the University and national levels. They include:

i. TETFUND Research Grant 2014-2015 (Merged) on “Assessment of Community-Driven Infrastructure Development in Ondo State, Nigeria ” - Joint research; 

ii. Federal University of Technology, Akure - 2009 Major Research Grant (URGC/MAJOR/2009/190) on “Effects of Community-Based Organisations’ Activities on Local Economic Development in Geographically Contrasting Areas of Ondo State, Nigeria” - Joint research (2010); and

iii. Federal University of Technology, Akure Staff Development Programme for Postgraduate Studies in Ph.D. (2004).

Professor Emmanuel serves as External Examiner for postgraduate programmes in a number of tertiary institutions including:

i. University of South Africa, Pretoria; and

ii. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

He also serves as assessor to several local and international academic and professional journals, including: 

i. British Journal of Environment and Climate Change.  Published by Sciencedomain International (SDI), London, United Kingdom;

ii. International Journal of Marine Science. Published by Sophia Publishing Group, British Columbia, Canada;

iii. African Journal of Built Environment Research. Published by West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Group;

iv. Human Ecology. Published by Springer, New York, United States; and

v. Journal of Environmental Technology. Published by the School of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure.

Professor Emmanuel belongs to several professional bodies, among which are:

i. Fellow, Institute of Human and Natural Resources (HNR/FHNR/OD/192);

ii. Corporate Member, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (MNITP/1652);

iii. International Associate, Royal Town Planning Institute, United Kingdom (47957);

iv. Planning Educator, Association of African Planning Schools; and

v. Member, Local Economic Development Network of Africa.

He is a Registered Planner (RTP/1383) (Town Planners’ Registration Council of Nigeria) and he has extensive urban and regional planning experience. 

At different times, Professor Emmanuel has served and still serves the University in different administrative capacities, among which are:

(i) Chairman, University Examination Processing Committee (2022 to date);

(ii) Chairman, Examiners’ Report Committee of the School of Postgraduate Studies (2021 - 2022);

(iii) Member, Business Committee of Senate, FUTA (2023 to date);

(iv) Senate Representative, University Appointment and Promotions Committee (2021 - 2023); and

(v) Member, Board of Directors, Centre for Continuing Education (2014 - 2017).

Outside the University, he has served, among various capacities, as: 

i. Associate Editor, Urban Design Research Team, Akure, Nigeria. Publisher, Urban Environmental Sustainability (2022);

ii. Member, Board of Directors, Lift a Hand of Help Foundation, Alagbaka, Akure, Nigeria (2021); 

iii. Chairman, NITP Committee on Poor Registration for Urban and Regional Planning in Tertiary Institutions of Ondo State (NITP Ondo State Chapter) (2020);

iv. Facilitator, Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (OSUBEB) Training of Teachers of Basic Science in Junior Secondary Schools (19th - 23rd Jan., 2009); and

v. Member, Education/Publication Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Ondo State chapter). (2005-2006)

Professor Emmanuel enjoys listening to good gospel music and is a sports enthusiast with passion for the game of table tennis. He is happily married and the union is blessed with promising children.

MySchoolNews reporting.