Dr Boluwaji Onabolu, a Rhodes Alumnus (2014) and RISE Scholar, visited the Institute for Water Research for the first time post-graduation on the 5th of July 2022.
After completing her PhD at the Institute of Water Research, Dr Onabolu returned to the United Nations where she worked for UNICEF Nigeria and UNICEF Bangladesh at senior levels in the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector. Her responsibilities focused on systems strengthening, policy review and research around topical issues such as drinking water quality, managed aquifer research and drinking water treatment technologies. She left UNICEF at the end of 2019, after a decade of service at the national and international level within the UN.
She is currently the CEO of WASHMATA Initiatives, an operational research focused NGO. WASHMATA Initiatives recently secured funding from the Bank of Industry to conduct research on exploring the association between community management and sustainability water supply infrastructure.
She is also the President and Convener of the Network of Female Professionals in Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene in Nigeria (FEMInWASH), a group of female professionals in Nigeria and beyond.
Dr Onabolu with the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Registrar and Dean Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Launching of the Generation Transformer Youth Empowerment program. An initiative of WASHMATA, FEMinWASH and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Nigeria.
Dr Onabolu, is seen here leading a team of female professionals for a discussion with the Honorable Minister of Water, Resources, Nigeria, Grand Patron of FEMinWASH.
Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of Water Institute of South Africa, during the IWD and WWD delivering his address at the Launch of the training partnership between WASHMATA, FEMinWASH and WISA.
The WWD and IWD conference flyer organized by FEMinWASH, WASHMATA initiatives and other partners featuring guest speakers from the diaspora including the Chairperson, WRC, South Africa.
The Honorable Minister of Water Resources, the National President, Association of Women Professional Engineers in Nigeria , Dr Onabolu as key note speaker during the IWD organized by APWEN