Like the proverbial white pap that evolves from the black pot, Professor Ayobami Salami hails from a humble background. Today, however, he is one of the leading lights that not only Ibadan – his darling hometown – and entire Oyo State are proud of, but also an iconic brand of national and global proportion.

After consolidating the promises of childhood and surmounting the challenges of the epoch, he set his feet on the noble path of scholarship, where he has raised thousands of successful students and impacted the world through functional research, revolutionary policy formulation and development as well as visionary leadership. He is currently consolidating these at the First Technical University, Ibadan, where, as the pioneer Vice Chancellor, he is leading a team raising new future leaders with entrepreneurial, vocational, and creative edge. It is as a result of these and other landmark achievements that inspired Ibadanland, under the umbrella of influential and discerning Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, to honour him with the award of the Most Distinguished Indigene of Ibadan in 2020.

An old student of St. Paul Anglican Primary School, Latunde Village in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State; and Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, Professor Salami was appointed the Pioneer Vice-chancellor of Nigeria’s premier Technical University, First Technical University, Ibadan in May 2017. He became a Professor of Environmental Science & GIS, at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in 2003. He was the Pioneer Head of Environmental Science, University of the Gambia, The Gambia (2000-2001); the Director, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, OAU (2006-2010); Senior Research Advisor, Health, Safety and Environment, Corporate Environment Department, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Port Harcourt (2010-2011); and Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Academic), OAU (2011-2016).

He was the Project Manager, the World Bank-sponsored Centre of Excellence (CoEx) in Software Engineering: Science & Technology Education at Post-Basic Levels (STEPB) Project OAU, from 2011-2013 and the Centre Leader, World Bank-sponsored African Centre of Excellence on ICT-Driven Knowledge Park from 2014 to 2016. He has coordinated many multi-disciplinary projects for several national, regional and international organisations. He was the Programme Coordinator (West and Central Africa), for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)-sponsored International Training Programme on Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education, in 2008; and Consultant to UNEP for the Terminal Evaluation of Project GEF/GFL-2328-2770-4889 on Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Trans-Boundary Areas Between Nigeria and Niger in 2010. He was the Nigerian Principal Investigator for the IDRC Multi-country Research Project (N°:105714– 001) on The Practice of Ethics in Health and Environmental Research in Africa from 2010-2013. He also coordinated the Nigerian capacity building component of the EU-sponsored project on Monitoring of Environment for Security in Africa (MESA) from 2014-2017.

Professor Salami has obtained numerous grants from several organisations such as the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Ecological Fund Office, Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, The Presidency, Abuja; the National Centre for Remote Sensing, Jos; International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), The Netherlands; International Secretariat of System Analysis for Research and Training-International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), Washington D.C.; UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy; Ramboll Natura AB, Sweden; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM), Japan among others.

He has also had teaching and research experience at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and at the Natural Resources Department, International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Enschede, The Netherlands. Professor salami has been an Eisenhower Fellow since 2009.

Within the short time it came on stream, the First Technical University, Ibadan, has already been counting its blessings. These include:

Prompt production of two prototype ventilators for COVID-19 treatment Running an unbroken and uninterrupted academic session in a year that COVID-19 and strike disrupted programmes in many other universities.

Building state-of-the-arts Engineering Workshop and Laboratory as well as hostels and lecture theatres through IGR Registration of Tech-U first patent within two years of operation Signing of collaborative agreements with the Texas Technical University, US and Girne American University, Cyprus Hosting of the Hult Prize Pitch in Nigeria Producing a finalist in the International Breweries Kickstart Business Plan Competition, for which 17,000 people applied. Tech-U students produce the paint for use in the university and also take up the University’s painting jobs. All Tech-U students are proficient in one technical skill/vocation or the other. Establishment of the First Technical University Advanced Academy, the university's primary and secondary schools, with the goal of building innovators from the elementary level.