Mrs. Belinda Aderonke Odeneye was born on the 3rd of September, 1965 in Manchester, United Kingdom into the family of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Kadara of Oyingbo, Lagos State, both of blessed memory. She attended k. Kotun Memorial Nursery and Primary school, Bode Thomas Street, Surulere Lagos, for her primary Education (1970-1976). Her Secondary School education was at Government College, Agege, Lagos State (1976-1981), where she completed her West African School Certificate (WASC) with Grade (I). For her tertiary education, she attended University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State where she bagged a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) with Second class Honours Degree in Industrial Chemistry (1985). She later had her Masters Degree in Environmental Pollution Control from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom in 1992.
She was prepared for professional rigours when she observed her mandatory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) Imo State as a Graduate Assistant at the school of Natural and Applied Sciences (SNAS) from 1985-1986.
Her job experience started with two different industrial attachments at Imarsel Chemical Company and Pfizer Product Limited during her degree course in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
Mrs. Odeneye has decades of experience in both the Public Service of the Federal Government and Lagos State Civil Service. She worked for 23 years as a Scientific Officer at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (Environmental Planning and Protection Division) which became Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) then to Federal Ministry of Environment. She then transferred her service to Lagos State Civil Service in 2010 and was deployed to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos State Safety Commission and the Environmental Services Department of the Ministry of the Environment.
Mrs. Belinda Aderonke Odeneye reached the height of her career when she was sworn in on August 19, 2019 as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of The Environment and Water Resources (Office of Environmental Services).
In the course of her career, she has attended several capacity building conferences to enhance her capabilities and such include NEBOSH (National Examination Board on Occupational Safety and Health) and Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Practices in Netherlands.
As an astute Health Safety and Environment (HSE) professional, she participated in many capacity trainings and international congresses such as the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Frankfurt, Germany in 2014, Singapore 2017, Safety and Health exposition in London in 2016, World Bank certificate course in Environmental and Social Framework, 2019 amongst several other trainings conventions, congresses.
She was appointed to serve by His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola, the then Governor of Lagos State as Chairman, Panel of Inquiry on Industrial accident at Alibert Furniture Limited Isolo in 2014.
She is a community leader and served as the Safety/Environmental Chairman of Gbagada Estate Phase II Association. A committed Sunday school teacher at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church since 1988, happily married to Mr. Seth Adetunji Odeneye and blessed with children.
Mrs. Belinda Aderonke Odeneye, is a Fellow of Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) and Specialist member of the United Kingdom based International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). She also holds the membership of many Non-Governmental Organizations including the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON) and Friends of Environment Society (FOTE), Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Tidy Nigeria Social Enterprise For a Cleaner Nigeria amongst others.
She recently authored a book on the environment titled “Living Lightly on Earth" and is currently a board member, Foundation for a Better Environment (FABE).