He is an environmental scientist with over 12 years of experience in teaching and research. He leverages technology to support scientists in their research efforts.

Babajide Milton Macaulay (photo) is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Wadi Africa, a startup dedicated to connecting African researchers with the resources and opportunities they need to advance their work.

Founded in 2022, Wadi Africa provides an online platform designed to support research on the continent. The platform grants researchers access to a wide range of tools, including equipment, information, a collaborative community, training programs, funding opportunities, and a robust support network. The company’s mission is to accelerate scientific and technological progress in Africa, fostering meaningful development across various sectors.

Before launching Wadi Africa, Macaulay founded iLLUMANIA in 2018, an online consulting platform specializing in postgraduate educational services. As its CEO, he focused on building human capacity in emerging economies. He is also a board member of Scholarly, a platform that helps users advance academically and professionally.

Macaulay serves on the board of Boys Without Borders NG, an organization dedicated to advocacy, outreach, and the reorientation of young men in Nigeria. Additionally, he is the training and scholarship director for Africa at the Women For Equality, Inclusion and Sustainability Foundation (WEISF), which promotes the well-being of women, girls, and children across the continent.

Macaulay holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the Federal University of Technology Akure (2010). He earned a master’s degree in sustainable environmental management from the University of Greenwich in England (2013) and completed a PhD in environmental geochemistry and geomicrobiology at the University of Manchester in 2019.

His professional journey began in 2009 as a scientific intern at the Wazobia Medical Laboratory and Blood Bank. More recently, from 2023 to 2024, he worked as a career coach for Zeed Worldwide, a U.S.-based virtual training and coaching academy aimed at nurturing and guiding young professionals.

By Melchior Koba,

Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji