Rank: Professor
Qualifications: B.Sc., Agricultural Engineering,OAU, Ife,
                          M.Sc. Agricultural Engineering,OAU, Ife,
                          Ph. D Agricultural Engineering,OAU, Ife

Oseni Kehinde Owolarafe is a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). He is a lecturer in the field of Agricultural Engineering specialising in Farm Machinery and Agro-Process Engineering. He has contributed immensely to the development of appropriate process lines and machines for many crops for small scale processors, many of which have been adopted.
He has over one hundred publications in reputable national and international journals, conference proceedings, and technical reports to his credit. He has successfully supervised many postgraduate students. He was a Visiting Scholar to the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, in 1999, Postgraduate Fellow of TWAS/CSIR at Regional Research Laboratory, India, in 2005 and Visiting Professor at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye from 2015 to 2016.
He has served as Consultant to the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) from 1997 to 2000, Consultant to the New Nigeria Foundation (an international NGO) on palm oil competitiveness programme in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria from 2003 to 2007, Consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on stakeholders programme on improvement of palm oil production in Nigeria in 2007, Consultant on World Bank Project on Abia State palm oil value chain development programme between 2008 and 2011 and Consultant to the Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) on Oil Palm programme.
He is currently the Chief Examiner for Ile-Ife NSE Examination Centre and Chief Inspector for COREN on ERM

His current research activities are focused on:

• Development of appropriate technologies for small scale palm fruit processing
• Development of appropriate processing technologies for okra.
• Development of appropriate processing technologies for locust bean
• Oil palm plantation management research
• Development of appropriate technologies for processing snake gourd seed
• Development of appropriate technologies for planting, harvesting and processing of kenaf

Academic Experience

Certifications or Current Membership in Professional Organizations
i. Nigerian Society of Engineers (Corporate Member No.08597): 1997
ii. Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (Corporate Member No. M509): 1998.
iii. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE)
iv. (1026938): 2005
v. Registered Engineer (COREN-R7820)

Honours, Awards and Distinctions:

(a) Fellowship
i. University of Newcastle Visiting Staff on OAUIfe/Newcastle Linkage Programme. 1999
ii. CSIR-TWAS Postgraduate Fellowship Award 2005

(b) Grant

i. National Agricutural Research Project Grant for evaluation of small scale palm fruit processing equipment in the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin 1997
ii. Award of Research Grant by the British Council for the Development of a Sorghum Dehuller 2001
iii. Award of Research Grant for the Development of Kenaf Decorticating Machine by the Raw Materials Research and
Development Council, Abuja 2011
iv. Award of Tetfund Research Grant for the Development of Appropriate Technologies for Processing of Oil Palm Fruit to Special Palm Oil for Industrial Applications 2019

(c) Other Awards

i. Meritorious Award for Service to the Nigerian Society of Engineers Ile-Ife Branch 2004
ii. Meritorious Service Award as General Secretary and Chairman, Engineering Week Committee by the Nigerian Society of Engineers Ile-Ife Branch 2008
iii. Award of Excellence for Service to Ejigbo Local Government by Ejigbo Local Government Students Association, Ile-Ife Chapter 2010
iv. Award of Excellence by Obafemi Awolowo Muslim University, Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA) 2011
v. Award of Excellence as the Chairman of NSE Ile-Ife Branch by the NSE OAU Students’ Chapter 2012
vi. Commendation from the University as Head of Department for prompt results processing and documentation 2013
vii. Award of Star Exhibit of Kenaf Decorticating Machine at the Raw Materials and Development Council’s Technology Exposition 2013
Viii Award of Meritorious Service as the Acting Head of Department by the Agricultural Engineering Students’ Society 2014
ix. Award of Excellence by the Agricultural Engineering Students Society of Olabisi Onabanjo University 2016
x. Award of Excellence by Obafemi Awolowo University, Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA) 2016
Xi Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ejigbo Baptist High School Old Students Association (EBHSOSA) National Body 2018

Service Activities
a. Member Departmental Board of Examiners 2023 to date
b. Member, Departmental Quality Assurance Committee 2023 to date

Selected Publications and Presentations from the Past Five Years
1. Makanjuola, G.A., Ayorinde, T.A, Aluko, O.B., Owolarafe, O.K. and Sanni, L.A (2019). Performance evaluation of kenaf-decorticating machine. CIGR Journal, 21, 1 (192 -202)

2. Kareem, I.; Owolarafe, O.K. and Ajayi, O.A. (2019) Fracture resistance of kolanut . CIGR Journal, Vol 21, No 3 (159 – 163

3. Badmus, G.A. , Owolarafe, O. K., Osunleke, A.S. Ajadi, S.O and Ajayi, O.A (2019). Mathematical Modelling of Digester-Screw Press Process for Expression of Oil from Oil Palm Fruit. Ife Journal of Science (Nigeria), 21, 3 (193-211)

4. Aviara, N. A., Ojiofor, C. G. Owolarafe, O. K. and Ogunsina, B. S.(2020). Effect of pre-processing conditions on oil point pressure of sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernel CIGR Journal, vol 22, 2(172 -185)

5. Olaoye, I.O.; Salako, Y. A., Odugbose, B. D. and Owolarafe, O. K (2020)
Effect of Processing Conditions on Quality of Juice Extracted from Hug Plum (Spondias mombin) Fruit. Ife Journal of Science (Nigeria), 23, 153 -160

6. Olaoye , O.I., Salako, Y. A. and Owolarafe, O.K. (2020). Development of a multi-seed oil expeller, Azojete (Nigeria). 16 (4), 699-716.

7. Owolarafe, O.K. Aregbesola, O. A.,. Odumosu, A. K, Falana, B.O and Olagunju, T. (2020). Effects of Processing Conditions on Drying and Quality Characteristics of Okra., Journal of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (Nigeria), 25 (2), 59 -71

8. Owolarafe,, O.K, Ayelegun, T.A. Samuel, T. M. and B. O. Adetifa (2021). An Assessment of Technologies for Processing Cassava into Gari in South-Western Nigeria: Journal of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (Nigeria), 3 (1), 47 -67.

9. Badmus, G.A. , Owolarafe, O. K., Osunleke, A.S. and Ajayi, O.A. (2021) Effect of Design Parameters on Oil Yield , Extraction Efficiency and Volumetric Flow of Digester –Screw Press. Journal of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (Nigeria), 3 (1), 68 -83

10. Owolarafe, O. K; Bello, T. K. ; Ogunsina, B. S.; Falana, O. B. ; Adetifa, B. O. . and Ogunseeyin, O. (2021). Development of a Multipurpose Small Scale Dryer for Agricultural Products. CIGR Journal, 23 (3), 261 -270

11. Atta, A.T., Owolarafe, O.K., Omotosho, O.A., Adeniyan, O.N., Adetunmbi, J.O., Olanipekun, S.O. and Falana, O.B (2021). Comparative Studies on the Mechanical Properties of some Selected Foreign and Indigenous Varieties Species of Kenaf.Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences, 6(1), 135-141

12. Edu, O. E. , Fayose, P. O., Owolarafe, O. K. and , Falana, O. B. (2021). Development of a Locust Bean Fermentation Bin. Eurasian Journal of Food Science and Technology, 5(2), 117 – 12

13. Idowu, D. O. and Owolarafe, O. K. (2021). Development of a Snake Gourd Seed Decorticating Machine. Journal of Engineering Research and Reports 20(12): 177-192.

14. Adegbesan, O.S.; Jubril, A.M.; Falana, B. O.; Adeniran, S.A. and Owolarafe, O.K. (2021). Development of a small scale moisture meter. Journal of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, 26 (1), 65 – 76

15. Owolarafe, O. K., Ogunsina, B. S., Obayopo, S. O., Morakinyo, T. A., Binuyo, G. O., Okorie, V.O., Owolabi, I. A.. Badmus, G. A. and Olaoye, I.O. (2022) Technological capability of small scale oil palm fruit processors in the production of special palm oil in Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, 27(1), 92 – 108.

16. Bello, S. A. ; Atoyebi, J.O and Owolarafe, O. K. (2022) A case-study approach to profitability assessment in fermented african locust bean (iru) production using break-even analysis. CIGR Journal, 24 (1), 159 – 174

17. Atoyebi, J.; Bello, S. A.; Owolarafe, O. K. Ganiyu, R. A. and Badmus, T. (2022) Development of Computational Models for the Production of Fermented African Locust Beansusing Petrinet. Ife Journal of Science (Nigeria), 24 (1), 119 -140

18. Salako, Y. A. , Olaoye, I.O. , Jagun, Z.O.O., Osunleke, A.S. and Owolarafe, O. K. Modelling of a small scale palm fruit biomass-fired boiler. Ife Journal of Science, 24(3), 489- 509

19.Owolarafe, O. K., Ogunsina, B. S., Obayopo, S. O., Morakinyo, T. A., Binuyo, G. O., Okorie, V.O., Owolabi, I. A.. Badmus, G. A. and Olaoye, I.O. (2023). Technological Capability of Local Fabricators in Fabrication of Equipment for Special Palm Oil in Nigeria, CIGR Journal, 25 (1), 99 -110

20. Ayorinde, T.A and Owolarafe, O. K. (2023). Development of tractor-mounted kenaf harvester. ACTA Corviniesis-Bulletin of Engineering, Tome xvi, April –June.

21.Ata, A. T. and Owolarafe, O.K. (2023) Performance evaluation of a small scale kenaf fibre spinning and reeling machine. Agricultural Engineering, Poland, Agricultural Engineering 27(1):163-172

22.Olaoye, I.O. Falana, O. B. and Owolarafe, O.K. and Adetifa, B. O. (2023): Effect of Ripeness and Size on Some Physical and Mechanical Properties of Spondias mombin Fruit, Scientific Journal of Agricultural Engineering, University of Begrade, Serbia 4(4):56-66

23.Ayorinde, T.A and Owolarafe, O. K. (2023): Effect of operational parameters of the performance of a kenaf harvester. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 21 (4), e0209 (open access)

24. Ata, A. T. and Owolarafe, O. K. (2023). A small scale kenaf fibre spinning and reeling machine, RP: NG/P/2022/499