Professor Jasper Ejovwokoghene Ikpesu, a Professor of Occupational Health and Safety, is the Assistant Director and Head of Health Safety and Environment (HSE) and General Services Department (GS), Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State. He recently bagged a Professorial award from the prestigious Highstone Global University, Texas, United States of America (USA), in 2024. In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU he speaks on the challenges facing the country’s occupational health and safety space, the effects of removal of petroleum subsidy, among other issues. Excerpt:

Could you briefly introduce your­self?

I was born into the Akaite/Igbo family in Ekrurivie of Okorhi In­land and the Unuacho Ewhubare family of Okpara, both in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Del­ta State.

Could you tell us about your aca­demic career?

My academic career in Health Safety and Environment (HSE) began with my earning a ANST Level 2 in Non-Destructive Test­ing (NDT); B.Sc in Physics; M.Sc in Solid State Physics and Ph.D in Chemical and Metallurgical Engi­neering (Nanoparticles Specialist). I was certified in these areas also in the USA, Canada, and Turkey. I was awarded the Best Researcher in 2018 out of 5,205 nominees from 65 countries and received ‘Novelty Prize: Father of Modern Industrial Safety in Toxicology’. This award came from the article I published from my M.Sc research work in Delta State University (DELSU). I am a product of School of Med­icine, University of Lagos (UNI­LAG), where I bagged Post Gradu­ate Diploma in HSE Management and PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, adjudged to be the first University in Africa and about 200 position by world ranking. I am an expert with two patents yet to be published. I am currently working as Assistant Director/Head of Health Safety and Environment (HSE) and Gen­eral Services Department with Pe­troleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State.

https://independent.ng/tinubu-needs-to-accelerate-infrastructure-devt-prof-ikpesu/