About the Department
The Department of Chemical Engineering was established to take care of the manpower needs of the growing industries such as the oil and gas, petrochemicals, soap, pulp and paper, and food-processing industries. The Department of Chemical Engineering which started as the Department of Chemical Technology is one of the pioneer Departments in the Faculty of Technology of Obafemi Awolowo University and the first of its kind in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. The first batch of students for the undergraduate programme in Chemical Engineering was admitted in September, 1969 in the Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry. The then Department of Chemical Technology became full fledge Department of Chemical Engineering with effect from October 1, 1970, within the framework of the Faculty of Science. The Department became a constituent of the Faculty of Technology since October 1, 1971.
The Department at its inception was able to establish research activities with main focus on raw material processing and application of knowledge. The research activities in different aspects include coal processing, pulp and paper, and tar sand processing which was carried out in collaboration with the Geology Department of the University. There were good research collaborations among the various groups in the Department. Within the University, Chemical Engineering Department had taken some significant positions in the early years. The Department was well renowned and reckons with for excellence in administration and sound academic training of students. Most importantly, Chemical Engineering Department had established a very good working relationship with industries and by so doing contributed immensely to the development of Oil and Gas sector and other sectors of the Nigerian economy by providing them with competent human resources.
Research groups
Members of staff do engage in joint research efforts that cut across specializations. The areas of research in the Department can safely be partitioned and identified as follows:
- Biochemical/Biotechnology Engineering
- Chemical Reaction Engineering
- Energy, Thermodynamics/Process Development and Design
- Engineering Analysis
- Environmental Engineering
- Petroleum/Petrochemicals Engineering
- Process Systems Engineering
- Separation Processes/Computational Fluid Dynamics
Final year thesis projects are given to students in all these areas. Postgraduate students are admitted to take projects in any of these areas at both the M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels.