About Us

About The Registrar

Prof. Zacheus O. Opafunso

Prof. Zacheus Olaniyan Opafunso was born in Agbagba village near Osu, Atakunmosa West Local Government Area of Osun State but he is a native of Ede, Ede South Local Government Area. He specializes in Surface Mining, Mineral Resource Valuation, Mine Health, Safety and Environment, Explosive Applications, Mineral Economics, Mining Law and Management. He delivered the first Mining Engineering Inaugural Lecture by any Nigerian University on 10th October, 2017 at the Federal University of Technology, Akure.  The erudite professor has published widely in national and international journals. He currently has over seventy (70) published journal articles and conference papers to his credit. He was on a 2-year sabbatical leave at University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana from August, 2017 to July, 2019. He had earlier undertaken a one-year sabbatical leave at the same institution from September 2007 to August 2008. He is the first Professor to become COMEG substantive Registrar/CEO as well as the first Nigerian Professor of Mining Engineering. He is happily married with children.

Academic Information

• Graduated with Grade 1 (Distinction) from Baptist Grammar School, Isanlu- Isin, Kwara Sate in June 1977.
• Graduated as the best HND student in Mining Engineering from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin in 1981.
• Bagged an M.Sc degree in Mining Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, USA (1986) on a Federal Government of Nigeria Post Graduate Scholarship. The scholarship was later renewed to cover an MBA programme at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, USA.
• Completed his PhD degree in Mining Engineering from Federal University of Technology Akure in 2003.
• Also bagged a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja in January, 2016.

 

Working Career

• He was retained for his 1-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme at Kwara Poly as a result of his excellent grade.
• He worked briefly for 3 years in the old Ondo State as a secondary School Teacher at Comprehensive High School, Aiyedun- Ekiti.
• He became a Lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti on his return to Nigeria in 1988.
• He became the first General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Luglaco Limited, a subsidiary of the defunct, Oluwa Glass PLC from 1992 - 1998.
• He became a Lecturer at the Department of Mining Engineering, the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State in September, 1998.
• He moved rapidly through the rank and file at FUTA; to become the Sub-Dean of School of Engineering & Engineering Technology for 2 years, and Head of Department for 2 years.
• He was promoted to the post of Associate Professor of Mining Engineering on 1st October, 2006.
• He became full Professor on 19th March, 2009; thus becoming Nigerian first Professor of Mining Engineering.
• He became the Dean of newly established School of Management Technology at FUTA from 2010 - 2013 and he was later appointed as the Director of Industrial Training at FUTA, a 4-year tenure which he completed on 31st July, 2017.
• He assumed duty as the 3rd substantive Registrar/CEO of Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientist (COMEG) on 1st June, 2020.

 

Professional Qualification

• COMEG registered Mining Engineer
• COREN registered Mining Engineer
• Fellow of Nigerian Mining & Geoscience Society (FNMGS)
• Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE)
• Fellow of Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers (FNSME)
• Fellow of International Institute of Professional Security (FIIPS)
• Corporate Member of Nigerian Institute of Management (MNIM).

Functions of COMEG