Professor Olubukola Oluranti Babalola (Pr.Sci.Nat, MASSAF, FASLP, FTWAS, FAS, FAAS), Vice-President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and Vice-President of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) (Africa region) is an NRF-rated scientist, an MBA graduate, a Director and Principal Investigator at NWU. After a PhD with a Fellowship from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and OWSD, she had postdoctoral experiences at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. She has over 20 years of experience focusing on rhizosphere metagenomics. She is a member or International Advisor to several editorial boards and has completed the supervision of 31 doctoral fellows, 24 masters, and numerous Honors students. Prof Babalola has more than 300 publications. Her international experience spans the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania including research grants and international partnerships across the globe.