Nigerian Groundwater Researcher Ayobami Oni Wins International Award for Water Research

Nigerian-born groundwater researcher Ayobami Oni has received the Blue Integrated Partnerships Extra Mile Award for his contributions to water and environmental research during a 2026 summer programme in the Caribbean.

Oni was recognised for his work at the Blue Integrated Partnerships Summer Institute, where researchers examined rainfall patterns, watershed conditions and surface-water changes across Puerto Rico and the United States and British Virgin Islands.

According to a statement announcing the award on Friday, the honour recognised his “commitment, research contribution and performance” throughout the programme. The research included an analysis of precipitation trends between 2000 and 2025, using historical rainfall records, geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis to assess seasonal and annual variations across the territories.

Oni also contributed to research in Puerto Rico’s Río Grande de Loíza watershed. The project used satellite-derived indicators to examine surface-water conditions and identify signals associated with turbidity, suspended sediments and changes in chlorophyll levels. The statement said he went beyond expectations and made exceptional contributions to the institute’s research activities.

The award follows Oni’s recent completion of a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University in the United States. He previously studied Agricultural Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in Ondo State, Nigeria.

His postgraduate research focused on developing a three-dimensional device designed to measure groundwater movement by estimating the speed and direction of underground water flow. The device uses heat as a tracer: a heater generates a thermal signal, while temperature sensors detect how the moving groundwater carries that heat. Researchers then analyse the resulting temperature differences to estimate the direction and velocity of the flow.

The project brought together computational fluid dynamics, sensor technology, electronic systems, laboratory experiments and field testing. Oni used ANSYS Fluent software to model groundwater movement and heat transfer through porous materials, while the device’s development involved sensor calibration, circuit-board design and data acquisition. Testing progressed from controlled laboratory conditions to groundwater wells to assess the technology’s performance and factors that could affect measurement accuracy.

Understanding groundwater-flow direction and speed can help researchers investigate contamination by identifying how pollutants may travel underground and potentially reach nearby wells and other water sources. Beyond groundwater research, Oni’s interests include hydrologic modelling, flood behaviour, environmental sensing and geospatial analysis, as well as the use of machine learning and remote sensing to investigate groundwater pollution.

Oni believes technologies such as environmental sensors, satellite remote sensing, GIS, hydrologic modelling and artificial intelligence could improve how water-related challenges are monitored and managed in Nigeria. He has also emphasised that these tools must be affordable, maintainable and practical for the communities and institutions expected to use them. AI, he argues, should complement established engineering principles and physical models rather than replace them.