I’m a biostatistician with a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, along with a master's in Medical Statistics from the same university and a bachelor's in Statistics from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] genotypes based on agro-morphological traits and SNP markers Abebawork Tilahun Assfaw, Olasanmi Bunmi, Agre Paterne, Godfree Chigeza, Hapson Mushoriwa, et al. Plos One, 2025 Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the world’s most important oilseed crops and has adapted to various environmental conditions. Yields of soybeans in Nigeria are notably low due to different production constraints, including the limited availability of improved varieties and the slow replacement rate of old varieties with new and high-yielding ones. Ensuring high genetic diversity in the working germplasm is among the primary factors for the success of breeding programs in identifying high-yielding and well-adapted improved varieties. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 45 soybean breeding lines of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture soybean breeding program at the advanced evaluation stage based on phenotypic traits and SNP markers to support breeding strategies. Field trials were conducted in 2022 across three International Institute of Tropical Agriculture stations in Nigeria using a 5 × 9 alpha-lattice design with three replications. The collected yield and yield component data were subjected to analysis of variance, mean comparison, principal component analyses, and cluster analyses using R software. The genotypes were further assessed using 10,630 SNP markers obtained from DArTseq genotyping. The combined analysis of variance revealed a significant genotype × location interaction for grain yield and a highly significant difference in days to 50% flowering and days to 95% maturity. The genotypes G02, G10, G11, G01, and G24 were significantly superior in grain yield. Principal component analysis showed that the first three components explained 64.8% of total variation, with major contributions from traits such as lodging score, hundred seed weight, plant height, nodulation, and days to 50% flowering. Hierarchical clustering grouped the genotypes into five clusters, highlighting desirable traits such as high yield, early maturity, and lodging tolerance. SNP-based population structure grouped the genotypes into three distinct subpopulations. The SNP markers showed average observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, minor allele frequency, and polymorphic information content of 0.08, 0.27, 0.20, and 0.22, respectively, which showed the existence of considerable genetic variation among the studied genotypes.
Repeatability and genetic advances in early maturing maize hybrid trials conducted under Striga-infested and non-infested conditions Adamu Masari Abubakar, Idris Ishola Adejumobi, Kayode Rapheal Fowobaje, Ibnou Dieng, Zakariya Saminu, et al. Plos One, 2025 In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), maize (Zea mays L.) is both a cash crop and an important staple crop. However, Striga hermonthica infection constrains its production and productivity. A total of 159 hybrids from 21 international trials were evaluated under Striga-infested (STRINF) and Striga non-infested (STRNON) conditions at Mokwa and Abuja, Nigeria, from 2010 to 2021. The data were used to (i) determine the genetic enhancements in grain yield and Striga adaptive traits and (ii) assess the repeatability of the trials in identification of promising hybrids. Significant annual genetic gains in grain yield of 3.40% and 3.71% with increases of 76.87 and 127.02 kg ha − 1 yr − 1 were recorded under STRINF and STRNON conditions, respectively. The genetic gains in grain yield were associated with 3.04 and 2.25% decreases in Striga damage ratings at 8 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP), respectively, and 1.27% in the number of emerged Striga plants at 10 WAP. The results indicated that ears per plant and flowering dates had the highest consistency in repeatability estimates while the number of emerged Striga plants at 8 and 10 WAP recorded the lowest consistency in repeatability estimates. Generally, substantial progress has been achieved with a good level of repeatability estimates for the early maturing maize hybrid trials evaluated under STRINF and STRNON conditions.Those results have demonstrated that the breeding strategies adopted during the 12-year breeding period have been effective, and that the potential of the trials in the exploration of the genetic potential of the hybrids for commercialization in the SSA for food security and poverty alleviation.
High-Throughput Field Screening of Cassava Brown Streak Disease Resistance for Efficient and Cost-Saving Breeding Selection Mouritala Sikirou, Najimu Adetoro, Samar Sheat, Eric Musungayi, Romain Mungangan, et al. Agronomy, 2025 Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) remains the most severe threat to cassava production in the Great Lakes region and Southern Africa. Screening for virus resistance by subjecting cassava to high virus pressure in the epidemic zone (hotspots) is a common but lengthy process because of unpredictable and erratic virus infections requiring multiple seasons for disease evaluation. This study investigated the feasibility of graft-infections to provide a highly controlled infection process that is robust and reproducible to select and eliminate susceptible cassava at the early stages and to predict the resistance of adapted and economically valuable varieties. To achieve this, a collection of cassava germplasm from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a different set of breeding trials comprising two seed nurseries and one preliminary yield trial were established. The cassava varieties OBAMA and NAROCASS 1 infected with CBSD were planted one month after establishment of the main trials in a 50 m2 plot to serve as the source of the infection and to provide scions to graft approximately 1 ha. Grafted plants were inspected for virus symptoms and additionally tested by RT-qPCR for sensitive detection of the viruses. The incidence and severity of CBSD and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) symptoms were scored at different stages of plant growth and fresh root yield determined at harvesting. The results from the field experiments proved that graft-infection with infected plants showed rapid symptom development in susceptible cassava plants allowing instant exclusion of those lines from the next breeding cycle. High heritability, with values ranging from 0.63 to 0.97, was further recorded for leaf and root symptoms, respectively. Indeed, only a few cassava progenies were selected while clones DSC260 and two species of M. glaziovii (Glaziovii20210005 and Glaziovii20210006) showed resistance to CBSD. Taken together, grafting scions from infected cassava is a highly efficient and cost-effective method to infect cassava with CBSD even under rugged field conditions. It replaces an erratic infection process with a controlled method to ensure precise screening and selection for virus resistance. The clones identified as resistant could serve as elite donors for introgression, facilitating the transfer of resistance to CBSD.
Patients' Acceptance of Glaucoma Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa Olusola Olawoye, Tarela Sarimiye, Jennifer Washaya, Girum W. Gessesse, Komi Balo, et al. Journal of Glaucoma, 2024 Précis: Patients’ acceptance of glaucoma therapy was high overall in this study, but lower for surgery than for laser or medical therapy. Fear and cost were the leading reasons why patients declined recommended therapy and they were treatment-specific. Cost was the primary reason for declining medical and laser therapy, while fear was the most common reason for declining surgical therapy. Purpose: To determine the frequency at which patients newly diagnosed with glaucoma in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) decline recommended therapy and to characterize the reasons for declining therapy. Methods: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted on adult patients at the time of glaucoma diagnosis at 27 centers in 10 countries in SSA. Data collected from the diagnostic encounter included demographics, clinical glaucoma characteristics, treatment recommendations, patient acceptance of therapy, and reasons for declining therapy. Results: Among 2282 eyes of 1198 patients offered treatment for glaucoma, initially recommended treatment was accepted in 2126 eyes (93.2%). Acceptance of therapy varied with the nature of treatment offered, with medical therapy accepted in 99.2% of eyes, laser therapy in 88.3%, and surgical therapy in 69.3%. The most common reasons cited for declining therapy were fear (42.9%) and cost (41.7%); cost was the primary reason for declining medical and laser therapy, while fear was the most common reason for declining surgical therapy. Most patients declining laser or surgical therapy accepted medical therapy as an alternate therapy (98.1%). Conclusions: Patients’ acceptance of glaucoma therapy was high overall, but lower for surgery than for laser or medical therapy. Most patients who declined laser or surgical therapy accepted medical therapy as an alternate therapy when offered. Educational interventions, sustainable incentives, and other approaches are needed to enhance patient acceptance of glaucoma therapy in this setting, particularly surgery, when needed.
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by glaucoma: A meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Rupert R. A. Bourne, Jost B. Jonas, David Friedman, Vinay Nangia, Alain Bron, et al. Eye Basingstoke, 2024 Objectives To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by glaucoma and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of published population studies and grey literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global and regional trends in number of people with vision loss due to glaucoma. Moderate or severe vision loss (MSVI) was defined as visual acuity of 6/60 or better but <6/18 (moderate) and visual acuity of 3/60 or better but <6/60 (severe vision loss). Blindness was defined as presenting visual acuity <3/60. Results Globally, in 2020, 3.61 million people were blind and nearly 4.14 million were visually impaired by glaucoma. Glaucoma accounted for 8.39% (95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]: 6.54, 10.29) of all blindness and 1.41% (95% UI: 1.10, 1.75) of all MSVI. Regionally, the highest proportion of blindness relating to glaucoma was found in high-income countries (26.12% [95% UI: 20.72, 32.09]), while the region with the highest age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness and MSVI was Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, global age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness among adults ≥50 years decreased by 26.06% among males (95% UI: 25.87, 26.24), and by 21.75% among females (95% UI: 21.54, 21.96), while MSVI due to glaucoma increased by 3.7% among males (95% UI: 3.42, 3.98), and by 7.3% in females (95% UI: 7.01, 7.59). Conclusions Within the last two decades, glaucoma has remained a major cause of blindness globally and regionally.
Global burden of 292 causes of death in 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 M Naghavi, HH Kyu, MA Aalipour, H Aalruz, HS Ababneh, BJ Abafita, ... The Lancet 406 (10513), 1811-1872 , 2025 2025 Citations: 310
Global age-sex-specific all-cause mortality and life expectancy estimates for 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1950–2023: a demographic analysis for … AE Schumacher, P Zheng, RM Barber, MA Aalipour, H Aalruz, ... The Lancet 406 (10513), 1731-1810 , 2025 2025 Citations: 111
Burden of 375 diseases and injuries, risk-attributable burden of 88 risk factors, and healthy life expectancy in 204 countries and territories, including 660 subnational … SI Hay, KL Ong, DF Santomauro, MA Aalipour, H Aalruz, HS Ababneh, ... The Lancet 406 (10513), 1873-1922 , 2025 2025 Citations: 283
Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill] genotypes based on agro-morphological traits and SNP markers AT Assfaw, O Bunmi, A Paterne, G Chigeza, H Mushoriwa, K Fowobaje, ... Plos one 20 (10), e0332895 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Characterising acute and chronic care needs: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 E Michael, F Adeniyi Francis, F Kayode Raphael Nature Communications, 4235 (2025) , 2025 2025 Citations: 22
GENETIC VARIABILITY AND MULTI-TRAIT SELECTION FOR SUPERIOR TRAITS IN WILD YAM HYBRIDS FP Oyedoyin, OJ Olawuyi, AP Agre, KR Fowobaje, A Asfaw FUDMA Journal of Sciences (FJS) 9 (3), 224 – 232 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Repeatability and genetic advances in early maturing maize hybrid trials conducted under Striga-infested and non-infested conditions BBA Adamu Masari Abubakar,Idris Ishola Adejumobi ,Kayode Rapheal Fowobaje ... Plos One , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
High-throughput field screening of cassava brown streak disease resistance for efficient and cost-saving breeding selection M Sikirou, N Adetoro, S Sheat, E Musungayi, R Mungangan, M Pierre, ... Agronomy 15 (2), 425 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Global, regional, and national progress towards the 2030 global nutrition targets and forecasts to 2050 MB Arndt, YH Abate, M Abbasi-Kangevari, S Abd ElHafeez, ... 2024
Global, regional, and national progress towards the 2030 global nutrition targets and forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 K Fowobaje The Lancet 404 (10471), 2543-2583 , 2024 2024 Citations: 134
Dominant Risk Factors For Stroke Among Africans: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis KR Fowobaje, AP Okekunle, J Akinyemi, RF Afolabi, MO Owolabi, ... African Journal of Biomedical Research 27, 7094 -7118 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Patients’ acceptance of glaucoma therapy in sub-Saharan Africa O Olawoye, T Sarimiye, J Washaya, GW Gessesse, K Balo, J Agre, ... Journal of Glaucoma 33 (12), 951-956 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Bioflow, a CGIAR Breeding Analytics Pipeline Initiative to Improve Analytical Workflow for Crop Breeding Decision-making F Kayode, N Solomon, O Daniella, O Sam, CP Eduardo, AS Khaled, ... 7th World Cowpea Research Conference , 2024 2024
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 VLEG the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2070 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Publisher Correction: Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Eye, 1-3 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Publisher Correction: Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2229 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2070 , 2024 2024 Citations: 41
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by diabetic retinopathy: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2047 , 2024 2024 Citations: 53
Q&A: Methods for estimating genetic gain in sub‐Saharan Africa and achieving improved gains I Dieng, B Gardunia, G Covarrubias‐Pazaran, DC Gemenet, B Trognitz, ... The Plant Genome 17 (2), e20471 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the … GBD 2021 Causes of Death Collaborators Lancet (London, England) 403 (10440), 2100 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2700
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the … GBD 2021 Causes of Death Collaborators Lancet (London, England) 403 (10440), 2100 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2700
Prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends in anaemia burden by severity and cause, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 WM Gardner, C Razo, TA McHugh, H Hagins, VM Vilchis-Tella, ... The Lancet Haematology 10 (9), e713-e734 , 2023 2023 Citations: 732
Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 KRF Michael Ekholuenetale The Lancet , 2024 2024 Citations: 411
Global burden of 292 causes of death in 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 M Naghavi, HH Kyu, MA Aalipour, H Aalruz, HS Ababneh, BJ Abafita, ... The Lancet 406 (10513), 1811-1872 , 2025 2025 Citations: 310
Burden of 375 diseases and injuries, risk-attributable burden of 88 risk factors, and healthy life expectancy in 204 countries and territories, including 660 subnational … SI Hay, KL Ong, DF Santomauro, MA Aalipour, H Aalruz, HS Ababneh, ... The Lancet 406 (10513), 1873-1922 , 2025 2025 Citations: 283
Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026 AE Micah, K Bhangdia, IE Cogswell, D Lasher, B Lidral-Porter, ... The Lancet Global Health 11 (3), e385-e413 , 2023 2023 Citations: 237
Global, regional, and national progress towards the 2030 global nutrition targets and forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 K Fowobaje The Lancet 404 (10471), 2543-2583 , 2024 2024 Citations: 134
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by glaucoma: A meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2036 , 2024 2024 Citations: 131
Global age-sex-specific all-cause mortality and life expectancy estimates for 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1950–2023: a demographic analysis for … AE Schumacher, P Zheng, RM Barber, MA Aalipour, H Aalruz, ... The Lancet 406 (10513), 1731-1810 , 2025 2025 Citations: 111
Estimation of soybean grain yield from multispectral high-resolution UAV data with machine learning models in West Africa TR Alabi, AT Abebe, G Chigeza, KR Fowobaje Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment 27, 100782 , 2022 2022 Citations: 98
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 M Ekholuenetale, AF Fagbamigbe, KR Fowobaje Eye , 2024 2024 Citations: 79
Adolescent transport and unintentional injuries: a systematic analysis using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 AE Peden, P Cullen, KL Francis, H Moeller, MM Peden, P Ye, M Tian, ... The Lancet public health 7 (8), e657-e669 , 2022 2022 Citations: 79
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2156 , 2024 2024 Citations: 78
Providing oxygen to children and newborns: a multi-faceted technical and clinical assessment of oxygen access and oxygen use in secondary-level hospitals in southwest Nigeria AA Bakare, H Graham, AI Ayede, D Peel, O Olatinwo, OB Oyewole, ... International health 12 (1), 60-68 , 2020 2020 Citations: 69
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by diabetic retinopathy: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2047 , 2024 2024 Citations: 53
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020 Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Eye 38 (11), 2070 , 2024 2024 Citations: 41
Care seeking behaviour and aspects of quality of care by caregivers for children under five with and without pneumonia in Ibadan, Nigeria A Kirolos, AI Ayede, LJ Williams, KR Fowobaje, H Nair, AA Bakare, ... Journal of global health 8 (2), 020805 , 2018 2018 Citations: 36
A prospective validation study in South-West Nigeria on caregiver report of childhood pneumonia and antibiotic treatment using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple … AI Ayede, A Kirolos, KR Fowobaje, LJ Williams, AA Bakare, OB Oyewole, ... Journal of global health 8 (2), 020806 , 2018 2018 Citations: 33
When do Nigerian women of reproductive age initiate and what factors influence their contraceptive use? A contextual analysis M Ekholuenetale, S Olorunju, KR Fowobaje, A Onikan, G Tudeme, ... Open access journal of contraception, 133-147 , 2021 2021 Citations: 27
Clinical characteristics and stage at presentation of glaucoma patients in sub-Saharan Africa O Olawoye, N Kizor-Akaraiwe, J Pons, T Sarimiye, J Washaya, S Hughes, ... Journal of glaucoma 31 (9), 717-723 , 2022 2022 Citations: 23
