01
Scholar
Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, researcher and author of more than 170 scholarly works.
NSUK's first (and first female) Professor of Computer Science
Professor RashidahFunkeOlanrewaju
Citp, FCRIDE, SMIEEE, MIET, MNCS, MAIIP, MIAENG, MWIE, Fellow Erasmus+, PhD, MSc.IE, DIS(IIUM), BSC. (Hons.) (UPM)
Professor of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence
Scholar, entrepreneur and institution-builder at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, connecting artificial intelligence and software engineering to entrepreneurship, humanitarian innovation and community development.
170+
Publications
Director
Entrepreneurship Development Centre, NSUK
170+
Scholarly publications
1,200+
Research citations
90,000+
Learners trained through the EDC
50+
Community projects
About
Scholar. Mentor. Builder of futures.
Prof. Rashidah Funke Olanrewaju is a Nigerian scholar, entrepreneur and thought leader in Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Humanitarian Engineering and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development. She is the first Professor of Computer Science at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and the first woman to hold that title there. She also directs the University's Entrepreneurship Development Centre.
Excellence
Rigorous, globally benchmarked scholarship and teaching.
Impact
Research and training that change livelihoods and communities.
Empowerment
Opening doors for students, women and young innovators.
Faith & Integrity
Ethical technology and service grounded in faith.
Watch
See her story in motion
A closer look at her work in scholarship, entrepreneurship and community impact.
The Woman Behind the Work
One life, many roles
Scholar and teacher, NGO founder and farmer, mother and relationship counsellor, entrepreneur and mentor. She serves in every part of life.
02
Teacher
A teacher at heart, from IIUM lecture halls to NSUK classrooms and EDC skills workshops, training students and communities alike.
03
NGO Founder
Founder of Women Lifeline International, whose community empowerment models such as Goat Banking and NutriBite draw on waqf and sadaqah.
04
Farmer
A practising farmer who keeps an integrated snail, poultry and vegetable garden, and brings that love of the land to agripreneurship — from the EDC rice farm to initiatives that tackle hunger.
05
Mother
A devoted mother whose care for family shapes her commitment to raising and mentoring the next generation.
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Relationship Counsellor
A trusted relationship counsellor and coach on relationship management, supporting individuals, couples and families to build strong, healthy homes.
07
Wellness Coach
A coach on women's health and wellness, and a keen volunteer who plays tennis and basketball and cooks recipes of her own making.
08
Entrepreneur
Founder and CEO of RadiantRay Exclusive, a fashion and lifestyle brand, and a champion of enterprise for self-reliance.
09
Mentor
Mentor at Minaret Muslim Connect and to countless students, guiding young people in research ethics, innovation and faith-based leadership.
Explore
Her work, in nine chapters
01
Biography
Her life, education and academic journey.
02
Inaugural Lecture
The professorial inaugural lecture.
03
Research
Research areas and publications.
04
Student Projects
Projects she has supervised and mentored.
05
Innovations
Patents, software, prototypes and research grants.
06
Impact
Entrepreneurship, community and research impact.
07
Awards
Honours and recognitions.
08
Speeches & Writings
Addresses, remarks and scholarship.
09
Voices
What others say about her work.
10
Gallery
Moments in pictures.
Inaugural Lecturer
Prof. Rashidah Olanrewaju
Professorial Inaugural Lecture
A Milestone of Scholarship & Service
An inaugural lecture on artificial intelligence, information security and technology-driven entrepreneurship for sustainable local economies.
- Date
- Wednesday, 25 November 2026
- Venue
- Multipurpose Hall, Nasarawa State University, Keffi
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05 · Impact
From the lab to the community
As Director of the NSUK Entrepreneurship Development Centre, she has turned entrepreneurship education into a practical engine of self-reliance.
COMMUNIVERSITY
Her flagship initiative takes the University's knowledge, resources and innovation directly to host communities. It launched in July 2025 in Angwan Lambu, Keffi, where the team combined hands-on paint-formulation training with the renovation of a community mosque.
Skills for Self-Reliance
Digital skills (web development, programming, prompt engineering, UI/UX, content creation, video editing and AI tools) sit alongside vocational skills such as baking, welding, soap making, perfume blending, shoe making, resin art, agro-processing and furniture making.
Agripreneurship
The EDC rice farm runs from cultivation through harvest to milling at the Keffi Rice Mill, with local women taking part. It demonstrates agribusiness value chains in practice. In her words, each grain represents the Centre's commitment to agricultural innovation.
We believe that every dream has the potential to become a reality.
Prof. Rashidah Olanrewaju · Director's Welcome, NSUK Entrepreneurship Development Centre
Read the full message
Flagship project
Nura-X
Described as the world's first Muslim female robot
A humanoid robot designed and built in Keffi, Nigeria, by Prof. Rashidah Funke Olanrewaju and the Intelligent Software Engineering Research Group she leads at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Built in Keffi, NigeriaInducted into the Nigeria Computer SocietyFeatured at the 3rd WIDEN AI workshop
See how it was built 04 · Student Projects
Mentoring the next generation
From assistive devices for visually impaired people to AI that diagnoses malaria, her students build technology that serves people.
In focusIn progress · 2026/2027
Development of a Random Forest-Driven Staff Performance Assessment and Incentive Recommendation System in Tertiary Institutions
A machine-learning system that scores staff performance in a Nigerian university from the records the institution already keeps, and recommends who should be rewarded — replacing a process that is usually manual, slow and contested.
Adigun Nurudeen Adio
AI & Machine Learning
In focusCompleted · M.Sc., 2023
Implementation of an Improved Mobile Vendor-Based Home Delivery Gas Service with a Machine-Learning Recommender System
A mobile platform that brings cooking-gas vendors to the customer's door, with a recommender that learns refill patterns so households order before they run out. Supervised to completion at M.Sc. level.
Adeleke Mansoor Opeyemi
AI & Machine Learning
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Assistive Technology · IIUM · 2017
iWalk — Intelligent Walking Stick for the Visually Impaired
A sensor-equipped smart cane that detects obstacles and alerts visually impaired users, so they can move around more safely and independently.
Students: M.L.A.M. Radzi, M. Rehab
02
Computer Vision · IIUM · 2018
Class Attendance Management System using Face Recognition
Automated classroom attendance that uses face detection and recognition in place of manual roll-call.
Students: O.A.R. Salim, W.A. Balogun
03
AI for Health · NSUK · 2024
Malaria Diagnosis & Incidence Prediction with Machine Learning
Compares Naive Bayes and Random Forest models for diagnosing and grading malaria and for predicting incidence from environmental and socio-economic data in Nigerian hospitals.
Students: T.O. Atoyebi (with N.V. Blamah)
09 · Gallery
Moments in pictures
08 · Voices
What others say about her
Commendations from traditional rulers, legislators, national agencies, partner institutions and the University.
On a visit to the EDC, where he donated an 18-seater bus to the COMMUNIVERSITY initiative
He praised the Centre for its well-coordinated programmes and commended Professor Olanrewaju for her foresight, dedication and leadership.
Receiving the EDC management led by Prof. Olanrewaju on a courtesy visit
The Emir expressed his happiness with the visit, praised the EDC's empowerment initiatives and promised his full support, wishing the Director and her team a successful tenure.
Recommending NSUK EDC to the Air Force Institute of Technology for benchmarking
TETFund recognised NSUK EDC as a model of excellence in entrepreneurship education, skill acquisition and community-driven development, a successful and scalable model for other institutions.
07 · Speeches & Writings
In her words
23 April 2026
Turning the Centre into a Powerhouse of Self-Reliance
INNOFEST 2.0 & Heritage Expo
“We are turning the center into a powerhouse of self-reliance.”
Read the full reportMarch 2026
Discipline, Punctuality and Full Participation
Commencement of ENTC 311 Practical Training, 2025/2026 Session
She warned that no student should pay money to facilitators except through the Centre's official channels.
Read the full report7 May 2025
Stronger Inter-Institutional Collaboration for National Development
Benchmarking visit of the AFIT Entrepreneurship Centre (TETFund-recommended)
NSUK EDC stands ready to share expertise, support replication, and drive inclusive national development through entrepreneurship.
Read the full report
Get in touch
Collaborate, invite or partner
For speaking invitations, research collaboration, supervision enquiries or partnerships with the EDC.
More Photographs
More from her work
Moments from her work with students, colleagues and partners.
With students and colleagues at an outdoor programme
With the team at a stakeholders’ gathering
With guests at a university ceremony
At a ribbon-cutting and launch ceremony