Ifedayo Akintunde

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Ifedayo Akintunde (born 2 November 1935) is a Nigerian engineer,[1][2] a distinguished Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE),[3] and former President of the society.[4][5] He is the first African to win the WFEO Medal of Engineering Excellence, in 2017.[6][7] Robert is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), and a Chartered Engineer of the U.K. since 1965. He was registered by Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria in 1974.

Career[]

Robert began his career in the U.K. with some engineering consulting firms before taking up an appointment with the then Western State Ministry of Works and Transport. Afterward, he obtained a second Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering before returning to handle some World Bank Assisted Road projects in Western Nigeria.

He thereafter, founded the firm Profen Consultants Inc. in 1976, of which he is the Chief Executive to date.[8] As a senior engineer in the Highways Division of Western Region Ministry of Works and Transport 1962 – 74, and as Chief Engineer with a frontline Roads and Bridges contractor 1974 – 76, and also as Chief Executive of his own civil engineering consulting firm 1976 – present, Robert has been involved in many highways, bridges, and water supply designs and construction.[9]

He is the former Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) 1991-2003, an umbrella international engineering organization to which he made outstanding and fundamental contributions. He was recently a winner of the Ibadan Anglican Diocese 2007 Merit Award and the Patron of a Zonal Christian Association of Nigeria. The Nigerian Society of Engineers Ibadan has also recently (2007) named her Headquarters offices and Auditorium buildings after him in recognition of his outstanding contribution to engineering development in Nigeria.[7]

Robert formed a one-man delegation accompanied by the WFEO Secretary-General, Mr. John Mckenzie of the U.K. to ascertain and convince the WFEO that Havana, Cuba, was a suitable venue to hold the 1993 WFEO General Assembly and Conference. This assignment cost him two visits to Havana Cuba. His favorable report confirmed Havana as the venue for 1993. At Havana, the discussion that originated at Arusha in 1991 on the determination of acceptable subscription formula for members, took a dramatic turn with members rejecting the existing formula. Robert indicated the wrong assumptions contained in the existing formula and suggested a completely new approach which he developed at Budapest, Hungary, in 1995, to become known as the “Akintunde formula”.[7]

Robert served variously in other dimensions. He was the chairman of the Editorial Committee for WFEO Publications and assisted President Carroll to develop the first WFEO Brochure. With late Mr. Donald Laplante of Canada, he contributed substantially to the development of Engineers’ Codes of Ethics, and with Mr. David Thom of Australia, the Engineers’ Code of Environmental Ethics.

For his last years as Vice President from 2001 – 2003, he was the chairman of the famous WFEO Merit Award Committee, a body that seeks and sorts out the best engineers in the world for the honor of WFEO prize of Merit Award.[7]

Publications[]

Apart from contributions to learned discussions on engineering and technology, he is the author of two books on the subject, namely, “Technological Development Through Self-Help”,[10] published by Vintage Publishers (Int’l) Ltd., 1994, and “Nigerian Construction Industry, Past, Present, Problems and Prospects”, printed by Ibadan University Printery, 2003.

Awards and honors[]

Robert was inducted in Nigeria’s Construction Industry Hall of Fame, 2017.

In 2018, The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Oluyole Branch, held the maiden edition of the Ifedayo Akintunde Engineering Lecture at the Felicia Hall, JOGOR Centre, Ibadan.[11]

Robert is quoted in at least four World “Who’s Whos.[12][13]

References[]

  1. ^ "CED Magazine List Inductees in the Nigeria's Construction Industry Hall of Fame, 2017".
  2. ^ Akintunde, Ife (1994). Technological Development Through Self-reliance: Selected Speeches. Ife Akintunde. ISBN 978-978-2458-14-8.
  3. ^ Foundation, Civil Engineering Research (1996-01-01). Construction Industry Research Prospectuses for the 21st Century. ASCE Publications. ISBN 978-0-7844-7411-2.
  4. ^ "NSE Newsletter".
  5. ^ "Past Presidents". nse.org.ng. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  6. ^ Engineers, My (2018-01-09). "Engr Ifedayo Akintunde, The First African to win WFEO Medal of Engineering Excellence Dedicates Award Nigerian Engineers". My Engineers. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  7. ^ a b c d "Awards". WFEO. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  8. ^ Coker, A.O.; Sangodoyin, Abimbola Y.; Ogunlowo, Olufemi O. (1998-01-01). "Managing hospital wastes in Nigeria". Figshare.
  9. ^ "Civil Engineer". jiji.ng. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  10. ^ Akintunde, Ife; Nigerian Society of Engineers (1994). Technological development through self-reliance: selected speeches. Ibadan, Nigeria: Nigerian Society of Engineers. ISBN 978-978-2458-14-8. OCLC 33135265.
  11. ^ "NSE Oluyole holds maiden lecture today | Nigerian Engineer". www.nigerianengineer.com. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  12. ^ "FG Urged To Honour Recipient Of 2017 World Engineering Award". tribuneonlineng.com. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  13. ^ Inc, Marquis Who's Who (1997). Who's Who in Finance and Industry 1998-1999. Marquis Who's Who. ISBN 978-0-8379-0332-3.
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