Prof. Mrs Chinedum Peace Babalola

Prof. Mrs Chinedum Peace Babalola

Chinedum Peace Babalola (nee Anyabuike) is the Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University Abeokuta, a Pharmacist and Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Pharmacokinetics. She is the immediate past Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan (UI). She obtained B.Pharm, MSc and PhD degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), University of Benin, Post-doctoral Fellowship, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; PG Diploma, Industrial Pharmacy jointly from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania & Purdue University USA.

Her research focuses on Drug Development in the areas of pharmacokinetics /pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics, clinical trials and quality assurance. She has been a visiting scholar in various institutions in Germany, Canada and USA. She has received over 25 research grants, awards and fellowships including MacArthur grant (~$1m) to set up Centre for Drug Discovery, Development and Production (CDDDP) in UI with the goal of building capacity for Africa to discover, manufacture and regulate her own medicines described as first of its kind in West Africa. CDDDP has a number of medicinal/herbal products qualified for NAFDAC registration.

She is currently one of the six Principal Investigators (for the $160m USAID-sponsored Project by United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) on Promoting Quality of Medicines-Plus (USP-PQM+) in LMIC (2019-2024). She recently (July 2020) obtained TETFUND COVID-19 Intervention Fund for “Identification of Potentially Effective Local Therapies for COVID-19”

Due to her novel academic contributions she has recorded many firsts, fellowships, prizes, awards and recognitions such as first female Pharmacist Professor in UI, first female Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy UI, first female pharmacist inducted Fellow of Academy of Sciences- (FAS), first female Nigerian inducted Fellow of African Academy of Sciences (FAAS) among several. She was selected twice (2016 & 2018) as one of 10 most influential female scientists/researchers in Nigeria; selected as the only African member, SWG of International Council for Science (ICSU).

She recently won the 2019 African Union Kwame Nkrumah Regional Prize for Scientific making her an African Union (AU) Laureate. She has over 150 publications and supervised and mentored over 50 postgraduate students.

As the Dean of Pharmacy UI, she radically changed the social status of Pharmacy students by promoting leadership skill acquisition, debating, Public speaking, writing, such that Pharmacy students began to win internal and external competitions. She nurtured and established the Pharma Lead club, where she is a matron. She has headed several units, departments, centres in the University for over 20 years. As a transformational leader, she has brought many innovations to every office she has occupied in academia and in various churches where she and her husband have pastored.

As a Vice-Chancellor, she grew the student population six-times in two and half years, established 12 new programmes (College of Medical sciences) with Law upcoming, obtained full accreditation of the programmes in one go, obtained full license for operations among several others. Chrisland University was one of the first universities to embrace E-learning immediately after the COVID-19 lockdown and has continued learning till date.

She is a mentor and a role model to many young persons academically, morally, spiritually and otherwise and is regular speaker at youth programmes. She can be described as a life coach to children and youths by making remarkable imprints in their lives. Since she got born again in the university, she has remained passionate and committed to God and His service. She loves music, enjoys worship songs and singing His praises.

She is married to a charismatic servant of God, Venerable Collins Olufemi in Anglican Communion and he has been very supportive. They are blessed with three children.