Dr. Olujumoke Adesola Ogunrayi is a distinguished Nigerian meteorologist and climate change specialist with extensive experience in environmental policy and coastal management. She currently serves as Director of Climate Change at the Ondo State Ministry of Environment while pursuing her PhD in Integrated Coastal Zone Management at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana under the World Bank Africa Center of Excellence in Coastal Resilience scholarship. With a strong academic foundation including Masters and Bachelor of Technology degrees in Meteorology from the Federal University of Technology Akure, alongside a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Technical University Dresden, Germany, she has developed comprehensive expertise spanning meteorological science and environmental policy. Her professional journey has positioned her as one of Nigeria's States' Desk Officers on Climate Change, where she has initiated and driven numerous climate change activities while developing critical climate change-related policies and action plans.
Dr. Ogunrayi's work uniquely bridges scientific understanding with practical implementation of climate change mitigation strategies across Nigeria's vulnerable coastal regions. Her research focuses on the sustainability of coastal environments through informed scientific approaches that address pressing challenges such as sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and climate-related hazards. With eighteen years of dedicated service as a Senior Climate Scientist under Nigeria's Ondo State Ministry of Environment, she has contributed significantly to environmental compliance and sustainability both nationally and internationally. Her innovative approach examines cultural representations of the natural world, recognizing how different societies and communities interpret and interact with environmental changes through their unique cultural lenses.
As an active member of the Nigerian Meteorological Society, Nigerian Environmental Society, and Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, Dr. Ogunrayi has established herself as a key figure in advancing climate science across Africa. She contributes to the DAAD climapAfrica Working Group on Climate Change and Land Use and is a prominent member of the climapAfrica Women's Group, which promotes African women in climate science research. Her leadership extends to mentoring emerging scientists while advocating for policy changes that drive a just transition to better cope with climate impacts. Driven by the conviction that education in ocean science is fundamental to securing oceans as sustainable resources, Dr. Ogunrayi continues to champion interdisciplinary approaches that integrate meteorological science, policy development, and cultural understanding to build climate resilience in coastal communities.
