Olawale Jubril Olalekan

Olawale is a passionate and forward-thinking individual with a strong belief in the power of collaboration. He thrives on connecting with people and exchanging innovative ideas. Driven by a vision of a better world, he views disruptive change as a key to solving the complex issues we face today. Currently, Olawale is focused on researching ways to enhance wheat nutrition and end-use quality through the introduction of genes from both ancient and foreign germplasms, using a combination of conventional and modern techniques. His long-term goal is to make meaningful contributions to global food security. Olawale believes that addressing the urgent challenges facing agriculture and food industries today requires a collective effort—one that has never been more crucial. He invites others to join him in this important work.

Olawale’s research is focused on identifying desirable genes and developing markers for key nutritionally important traits in ancient cereals, landraces, and wheat-alien introgression lines. By exploring existing genetic variation, his work aims to enhance the nutrition, functionality, and end-user qualities (EUQ) of whole-grain products. Olawale combines traditional breeding practices with cutting-edge technologies to evaluate sensory attributes, nutrition, and EUQ, selecting the best cereal genotypes for both conventional and organic breeding programs. The outcomes of this research will support breeders in making faster, more accurate selection decisions, reducing costs while maximizing improvements in EUQ. Ultimately, this research will contribute to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) goals of improving global food security.

Biology, Plant Breeding specialisation

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden.

Plant Breeding specialisation

Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.