Biography

Dr Sunday Oluremi Agbeniyi, Thad Cochran Fellow of the United States Department of Agriculture is presently the Director (Training), of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN).

He obtained his B.Sc (Hons) in Botany in 1989 and M.Sc Plant Pathology, Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan in 1992 and Ph.D Mycology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in 2004.

Dr Agbeniyi has acted in various leadership capacities and committees – Budget committee, Senior staff Promotion Committee, Conflict Reconciliation Committee among several others.

He has attracted several research funds from donors. He has also completed the ECA/CAOBISCO Project “Safe Cocoa, sustainable production: a concerted programme by the cocoa and chocolate industries to understand and address market changes regarding pesticide
acceptability. He conducted Participatory Farmers Field Research on biocontrol of Phytophtora Pod rot in Nigeria, completed CRIN/WCF Project, “Soil fertility management for smallholder cocoa in Nigeria. He again completed CRIN/CABI/DFID project “ Rational Pesticides use on cocoa”, participated in drafting of Curriculum for Farmers Field School in West Africa.

He has won several scholarships and prizes, among which are USDA, Certificate of Achievement in Cocoa Research, USDA- Washington DC, USA, World Cocoa Foundation WCF Challenge Grants Winner and Grant Winner for Biocontrol of Cocoa black pod
disease in Nigeria.

He is a member of International Committee on Pests and Diseases of Cocoa, Mycological Society of Nigeria, Nigeria Society for Plant Protection, Science Association of Nigeria, Ecological Society of Nigeria, Botanical Society of Nigeria, Horticultural Society of
Nigeria and Agricultural Society of Nigeria.

He added to his feathers several publications in learned journals, books and proceedings with various international recognitions in research activities. He has taught at the Department of Microbiology, Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu. Ile- Ife on sabbatical appointment and adjunt lecturer, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State. He supervised final year students B.sc (Hons) Microbiology projects and co-supervisor Ph.D students.