Academic Foundation

Dr. Talabi holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Plant Science from Obafemi Awawolo University, Ile-Ife, where he built a solid academic foundation in his field. To further broaden his knowledge, he also earned a postgraduate degree in Data Science and Business Analytics from the University of Texas at Austin, sharpening his analytical and problem-solving skills.

Career & Research Experience

Over the years, Dr. Talabi has served in several key positions at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria, including Research Fellow, Research Supervisor, and International Trials Manager. He also worked as a Plant Breeder and Head of the Seed Division at WACOT Ltd, a multinational subsidiary of TGI Group.

Current Focus

Currently, Dr. Talabi serves as a Senior Scientist at Silal Food & Tech. LLC in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he focuses on innovations that connect food, water, and energy systems. Over the past twelve years, his work has spanned various research areas, including the development of climate-resilient crops, enhanced crop productivity, food and nutrition security, resource-use efficiency, carbon footprint reduction through clean energy, food supply chain resilience, and sustainable agricultural practices. His academic contributions include more than forty publications across journals, book chapters, posters, and conference proceedings.

Entrepreneurial Ventures

In addition to his research career, Dr. Talabi is the visionary founder of:

• Leverage Seeds Limited (www.leverageseeds.com), a Nigerian seed company dedicated to providing farmers with high-quality seeds, affordable fertilizers, eco-friendly agrochemicals, and hands-on training.
• Leverage Fresh Limited (www.leveragefresh.com), an agricultural enterprise focused on bridging the gap between sustainable farming and consumer needs by providing fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Through these ventures, Dr. Talabi promotes food security, poverty reduction, responsible production, and climate action, goals that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 2, 12, and 13).