– Plus his rich academic profile, research works, Islamic activism
A 37-year-old Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidate, Rasheed Olatunji Moruf, from the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos, has been awarded the Overall Best PhD Thesis of the 2018/2019 academic calendar.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe announced on Wednesday, June 30 at a media briefing on activities lined up for the institution’s 51st convocation ceremony in Lagos.
Dr. Moruf’s thesis is titled; “Bio-Ecology, Immuno-Histochemistry and Genetic Heterogeneity of Portunid Species from Coastal Waters of Lagos State, Nigeria”.
“I feel so excited because I had no premonition to win the laurel at the start of the research work, but I decided I was going to get the best out of everything I laid my hands on,” the Ajegunle, Ajeromi LGA, Lagos State-born Scholar told UNILAG Sun tabloid.
The Varsity Lecturer at Bayero University, Kano noted that he does not compete to be the best but strives to be unique in his own way.
According to him, “Being the best makes one the NUMBER ONE but being unique makes one the ONLY ONE. Each person knows his / her own place for water (Q 2:6).
“With respect to what I have done within the 3 years of my fulltime Ph.D. research leading to twelve (12) extracted published papers in both international and national journals, I then realized it is an award well-deserved. I thank God Almighty for this honour, knowing that many of my colleagues also had good contributions to knowledge”, he added.
Dr. Moruf started his Ph.D. on Fisheries at the University of Lagos in 2016 and it took him three extensive years of research to complete his course at the department of Marine Sciences, where his thesis was adjudged the best in the University, with a perfect CGPA of 5.0 Ph.D. course work, during this year’s convocation.
He had his primary education at God is Able Primary School, Ajose and Secondary education in Cardoso High School Badia, where he was the Senior Prefect (Head Boy) and Amir (President, Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria) in 2004.
The Lagos-born Scholar also bagged a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) at the Federal College of Education (Tech.), Akoka, Lagos before proceeding to the University of Ibadan for his first degree in Animal Science, between 2006 to 2011.
He then returned to Lagos for his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos. On his choice of Marine Sciences, he said, “It has been at the forefront of my mind when making a sensible choice of University. The facilities here at the University of Lagos for my subject are second to none.
“Hence, my chosen Course of Study motivated my choice of University of Lagos, where the main campus is largely surrounded by the scenic view of the Lagos Lagoon. I also learnt before coming in that the school places great premium on the development and welfare of students both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.”
His M.Sc Dissertation was titled, “Biometrics, gut contents and sexual dimorphism of a Gastropod, Tympanotonus fuscatus var radula from mangrove swamps in Nigeria.”
Moruf, a Lecturer II, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano, won multiple awards and scholarships including the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme in 2017 and 2018, University of Lagos School of Postgraduate (Doctoral) Trust Fund in 2018, Bayero University Ph.D. Fellowship in 2019 and now, the 2018/2019 Overall Best Graduating Doctoral Thesis Award Winner, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Dr. Moruf is happily married to Hajiyah Hawwau Adeleke and blessed with three boys. He said his wife who is a source of his motivation also currently lectures at Federal University Dutsin-Ma, in Katsina State.
Islamic activism
He had his Quranic Waleemah (graduation ceremony) at Nurudeen Islamiyyah, Ajegunle in 1998 during his secondary school days.
In his University days at UI, while pursuing academics, Dr. Moruf also enrolled in Arabic School of Civilization (Madrasatu Thaqafiyy at Agowo, Ibadan).
In his interview with Muslim News on his quest for islamic knowledge, Dr. Moruf said, “I spent 5 years at Agowo, where I did Ibtidaayiy up to Thanawiyy. Virtually, we had many subjects such as A’rud, Arabiyyah, Nahw, Sarf and others. So, I can boldly speak in Arabic. I did 2 levels of Thanawiyy.
Speaking on his involvement in Islamic activities, the Muslim Ambassador said it began in secondary school when he was made the Naibul Amir of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) in SS 2.
“I was later appointed the Amir of MSSN, Cardoso High School, Badia, in 2004, when I was in SS3. When I gained admission to College of Education, Akoka, I was also the PRO of MSSN of the school and when I got to University of Lagos, though at the Masters level, I participated in various Islamic programmes on campus, attended lectures and others.
“At the Muslim Postgraduate Association, an organ of MSSN UNILAG, I participated a lot in the programmes. Also, after graduation, I joined UNILAG Muslim Alumni (UMA) stakeholders Pre-Ramadan lectures which I hardly miss and many more,” he added.
Some of his research works
Dr. Moruf has written and co-written over 50 Research articles, many of which have been published in national and international publication. Some of them include:
– Moruf, R. O and Ojetayo, T. A. (2017). Biology of the West African Fiddler Crab, Uca tangeri (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) from a Mangrove Wetland in Lagos, Nigeria. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 5(4): 263-267. (Publisher: Iranian Society of Ichthyology, Iran).
– Moruf, R. O., Bolaji, O. D. and Lawal-Are, A. O. (2018). Biometrics, gut contents and sexual dimorphism of the West African Mud Creeper, Tympanotonus fuscatus var radula from the mangrove swamps of a coastal estuary in Nigeria. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 22(1): 87- 96. (Publisher: Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt).
– ‘ Usese, A.I, Lawal-Are, A.O., Moruf, R.O and Chukwu, L.O. (2018). Biomarker Responses to Environmental Stressors in the Hairy Mangrove Crab, Sesarma huzardii (Graspidae) from a Tropical Lagoon Mudflat in Nigeria. Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 57 (2): 4-10. (Publisher: Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt).
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