Prof. Tunde Ogunkunle, a Professor of Plant Taxonomy at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has called for urgent government intervention to address declining interest in Botany and the dwindling number of trained plant taxonomists in Nigeria.
Ogunkunle, who is the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management and Operations), made the call while delivering LAUTECH’s 76th Inaugural Lecture at the Great Hall of the university on October 22, 2026.
The lecture, held under the chairmanship of the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Razaq Olatunde Rom Kalilu, was titled “Making Sense Out of Chaos: Taxonomy as a Universal ‘Digestive System’ Amidst Plentiful Harvest But Few Workers.”
The event was attended by dignitaries, including principal officers of the university, members of the university’s Governing Council, led by its Chairman, Prof. Ayodeji Omole; provosts of the university’s colleges; deans of faculties, of the postgraduate school, and of student affairs, professors, heads of departments, and other members of Senate, directors of institutes, directorates, and heads of units, traditional rulers, community leaders, clerics, as well as members of Prof. Ogunkunle’s family and their well-wishers.
Describing taxonomy as an indispensable intellectual framework for organising complexity and generating meaningful knowledge, the professor explained that its relevance transcends Biology, extending to virtually every sphere of human endeavour.
He likened taxonomy to the digestive system, which breaks down complex food substances into simpler components, explaining that the discipline similarly organises the overwhelming diversity of life into manageable categories for identification, understanding and utilisation.
The don emphasised that accurate plant identification was fundamental to herbal medicine standardisation, biodiversity conservation, pharmaceutical development, food security and environmental sustainability.
He warned that misidentification and misrepresentation of medicinal plants could lead to adulterated herbal preparations, ineffective treatments, drug poisoning, serious health complications and even death.
Expressing concern over the widening gap between the demand for taxonomic expertise and the availability of trained specialists, Ogunkunle observed that much of the world’s biodiversity remained undocumented despite centuries of scientific investigation.
Quoting Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few,” he described the situation as a serious taxonomic crisis requiring deliberate institutional, educational and policy-driven interventions.
He urged the federal, state and local governments to declare a state of emergency on the near-extinction of plant taxonomy specialists, while introducing scholarships, bursaries and research grants to encourage more young Nigerians to pursue Plant Biology.
The professor also advocated the establishment of a National Institute of Botany and called on universities to integrate taxonomic reasoning into their curricula.
He urged employers to recognise taxonomists as valuable professionals in research, quality control, innovation and strategic decision-making.
Ogunkunle also appealed to the media and social media users to promote accurate public understanding of herbal medicine and avoid misleading representations of legitimate herbal practitioners.
He stressed that biodiversity protection was a collective responsibility, urging Nigerians to embrace sustainable resource utilisation, tree planting and environmental conservation.
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