Dr Olapade is a reader in the Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Technology at the University of Ibadan, and the currently Acting Head of Department since 1 August 2019. He was the Sub-Dean Postgraduate for the Faculty from 1 August 2015 till 31 July 2019. Dr Olapade is an active member of the Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), which is an umbrella body for Food Professionals in the Country. He is the current Chairman of the Western Chapter of the Institute. Dr Olapade has supervised over 40 undergraduate projects and 50 postgraduate projects in the Department. He served as an external examiner for the Food Technology program in The Polytechnic of Ibadan and Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi Edo State. He has attended and presented papers at many conferences and workshops. Dr Olapade has published over 40 articles in reputable local and international journals. He has also contributed to chapters in textbooks published by internationally recognized publishers. Dr Olapade is currently an elected representative of the congregation on the Senate of the University of Ibadan.
His research focus in the past 21 years at both the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos and the University of Ibadan. Ibadan can be broadly grouped into three areas namely (a) processing and utilization of legumes such as cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp), Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) and African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa), (b) complementation of cereals/roots/tubers and legumes and (c) processing and utilisation of lesser-known crops.
Utilisation of legumes is generally discouraged by so many factors such as processing, nutritional, and storage problems. Different cultivars of cowpea were characterised, and data were generated for designing appropriate processing and handling equipment for them. Process parameters such as drying time, drying temperature, moisture content, particle size distribution that influencing the quality of legume flours in the preparation of some African dishes were established. Similarly, data were generated for Cassia sieberiana seeds and a laboratory size roaster was designed and fabricated.
Cereals such as acha (Digitaria exilis), sorghum, and maize were successfully enriched with legumes such as cowpea, Bambara groundnut, African yam bean for preparation of acceptable complemented foods for children, snacks and breakfast cereals for adults. Acha (Digitaria exilis) was used in complementary food formulations, and the application of extrusion cooking technology in the preparations of complementary foods from combinations of acha and cowpea flours, and yam and Bambara nut were explored. The results from this researches were the production of protein enriched and acceptable products. His research also focuses on the processing and complementation of roots/tubers and legumes in the preparation of complementary foods. Yam and Bambara groundnut blends were successfully extruded, and acceptable snacks were produced with improved nutritive value.
His research focus also extends to the processing and utilisation of lesser-used crops. Characterisation of raw seeds and evaluation of roasted seeds of lesser-known crops of Cassia sieberiana and Senna occidentals, local weeds, as substitutes for coffee beverages were undertaken and some of the results were published in some reputable journals.
