By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Goronyo
Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses. — Kobe Bryant
Success is a bright light that shines the path of greatness, an achievement, a record of service, and a testament of ability. It radiates like the sun at noon, smiles like the moon on the 15th day of a month, and adorns the bearer like the beautiful sky at night. The Deputy Rector, Administration of Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr. Anako Opotu Lawal (A. O. Lawal), is an academic wordsmith, an inventor of technology, a builder of concept, an administrator of repute, an explorer of knowledge, a revitalizer of ideas, and a renowned academic researcher whose works have penetrated beyond Nigeria.
Dr. Lawal’s academic journey began in Ogaminana, Adavi Local Government Area, Kogi State. He attended L.S.M.B school, Ogaminana, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. He had his secondary education at Okene Secondary School, in Kogi State, where he obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC)/GCE. The academic explorer, Dr. Lawal, graduated from Bayero University, Kano, with a BSc in Chemistry in Second Class Upper Division. He obtained an MSc in Analytical Chemistry from the same university and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Dr. Lawal has researched extensively on the production of industrial adsorbents, environmental pollution by organics and inorganics, and has published scholarly articles in both local and international journals. He has a good international rating with an h-index of 16 and a 24 i10-index on Google Scholar. For more than a decade he held the position of the highest index researcher in Kaduna Polytechnic. His work primarily focuses on the synthesis of novel materials for contaminant removal, water treatment, adsorption techniques, waste valorization, environmental analysis, and biodiesel production. These areas directly contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Dr. Lawal is a Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), Fellow of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), and a registered member of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) in the USA, American Chemical Society, and Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in the UK. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON). Dr. Lawal is currently the Chairman of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Kaduna Chapter, and the National Secretary of the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of NES.
Dr. Lawal has served as a consultant to TETFUND on capacity building of technologists and technicians in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He has also served as a resource person to the NBTE-UNESCO project for the development of chemistry instructional materials for polytechnics. He is a writer for the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in the field of chemistry instructional materials for distance learning programs.
The Deputy Rector Administration has received many awards for his scholarly works and administrative leadership. He has served as the Head of Department of Applied Science, Director, College of Science and Technology, and Pioneer Director, Directorate of Polytechnic Advancement. He is an external member of the Governing Council of Kogi State Polytechnic. Until his appointment as Deputy Rector Administration in 2022, Dr. A.O. Lawal was the Director, Academic Planning of the Polytechnic.