A Nigerian 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, bringing international recognition to work that combines engineering, environmental monitoring and the study of water movement beneath the earth’s surface.
Oni’s research into groundwater movement has practical implications for investigating contamination and protecting water supplies. By developing technology capable of estimating the speed and direction of underground water flows, he has been exploring ways to help researchers understand how pollutants may travel through the ground and potentially reach wells and other water sources.
The award followed his participation in the Blue Integrated Partnerships Summer Institute, where researchers investigated rainfall patterns, watershed conditions and surface-water changes across Puerto Rico and the United States and British Virgin Islands. A statement announcing the honour on Friday said Oni was recognised for his commitment, research contributions and performance, noting his exceptional contributions to the institute’s work.
One component of the programme examined precipitation trends from 2000 to 2025 across Puerto Rico and the two island territories. Researchers drew on long-term rainfall records, geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis to investigate seasonal and annual variations. In Puerto Rico, Oni also contributed to research in the Río Grande de Loíza watershed, where satellite-derived indicators were used to assess surface-water conditions, including signals associated with turbidity, suspended sediments and changes in chlorophyll.
The Caribbean research builds on an academic path that has taken Oni from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, to Purdue University in the United States. He studied Agricultural Engineering at the Nigerian institution before recently completing a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue.
His postgraduate research focused on a three-dimensional device designed to estimate groundwater velocity and direction. The equipment uses heat as a tracer: a heater generates a thermal signal, while surrounding temperature sensors detect how groundwater carries that heat as it moves past the device. The resulting temperature differences are analysed to estimate the speed and direction of the flow.
Developing the instrument required several disciplines to work together. Oni used ANSYS Fluent software to model groundwater movement and heat transfer through porous materials, while the device’s construction involved sensor calibration, circuit-board design and data acquisition. The research progressed from controlled laboratory experiments to testing in groundwater wells, examining the technology’s potential and identifying factors that could affect the accuracy of its readings.
The ability to measure underground water movement matters because groundwater can carry contaminants beyond the point where pollution first enters the soil. Establishing the direction and speed of flow can help researchers investigate possible contamination pathways and assess the risks to nearby wells and other water sources.
Oni’s research interests include hydrologic modelling, flood behaviour, environmental sensing and geospatial analysis. He has also explored machine learning and remote sensing as tools for investigating groundwater pollution, reflecting an interest in combining established engineering methods with technologies that can extract useful information from large volumes of environmental data.
These areas have direct relevance to Nigeria, where groundwater supplies many communities and water quality, flooding and changing rainfall patterns remain important concerns. Oni believes environmental sensors, GIS, satellite remote sensing, hydrologic modelling and artificial intelligence could strengthen the monitoring, prediction and management of water-related problems. He maintains, however, that AI should complement established engineering principles and physical models of water systems rather than replace them.
He also stresses that technological advances must be judged by their usefulness to the people and institutions expected to adopt them. Equipment that is expensive, difficult to maintain or impractical to operate may remain beyond the reach of communities that need better water-management tools. Affordability, maintainability and suitability for local conditions are therefore essential considerations in developing effective solutions.
Oni’s award recognises his contribution to an international research programme, while his work on groundwater-monitoring technology addresses a challenge with consequences for environmental protection and public access to safe water. The opportunity lies in ensuring that advances in research translate into practical tools that can help communities and institutions make better-informed decisions about the water resources on which they depend.
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