A leap into Alberta led to a life of engineering, service and impact for Adetoyese Oyedun
August 21, 2026
The immigration officer processing Adetoyese “Toye’ Oyedun’s work permit looked at his destination and posed a question that briefly unsettled the newly arrived engineer.
“Alberta? Why Edmonton?” Oyedun recounted her asking during his stopover in Vancouver.
It was the middle of winter in 2014, and he and his wife exchanged anxious glances. After leaving Nigeria and living in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, they wondered whether they had made the right decision by coming to a province known for its punishing cold.
Twelve years later, there is little doubt that Edmonton was the right destination.
The professional engineer, sustainability specialist, entrepreneur and community leader has made a significant contribution to Canada through environmental research, newcomer mentorship, advocacy for greater diversity in engineering and efforts to address hunger and food insecurity.
His impact was recognized when he was selected as one of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants for 2026.
Presented by Canadian Immigrant magazine in partnership with Western Union, the annual awards celebrate immigrants whose achievements and community contributions are helping to shape the country.
Oyedun’s journey to Canada was neither direct nor predictable.
Raised in Nigeria, he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry before receiving a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in advanced chemical engineering at Imperial College London.
After completing the program, Oyedun worked in London for two years. However, his desire to deepen his knowledge of chemical engineering and environmental sustainability led him to another opportunity on the other side of the world.
A prestigious scholarship allowed him to undertake doctoral studies in chemical engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research focused on energy systems, waste management and finding productive uses for materials that would otherwise be discarded.
Oyedun spent about five years in Hong Kong and also completed a six-month research internship in Malaysia. By the time he earned his doctorate in 2014, he had studied and worked on three continents.
Despite the opportunities available to him, he did not see Hong Kong as his long-term home.
He began applying for positions around the world and was drawn to Canada because of its diversity and reputation as a place where immigrants could belong without surrendering their identities.
“I have lived in different countries, and Canada is the only country where I don’t get challenged or asked a lot about where I am from,” Oyedun said. “I had read a lot about Canada and always loved the country because of its diversity.”
A research opportunity at the University of Alberta provided the opening he was seeking. He arrived on a temporary work permit with no certainty about how long it would take to become a permanent resident.
“It was a leap,” Oyedun pointed out. “There was a lot of uncertainty about the timeline to get permanent residency, but I took the leap and here we are.”
While adjusting to Alberta’s harsh winter was an immediate challenge, overcoming the loneliness that many newcomers experience proved more difficult.
“Initially, it can be very lonely,” he said. “I reached out to the Black and Nigerian communities and began connecting with people. Together, we built a sense of community.”
That willingness to connect with others became a defining feature of his life in Canada as he became active in cultural organizations, professional networks and civic affairs.
Wherever Oyedun found himself, his response was the same.
“I am always building community,” he said.
Oyedun’s international experience also strengthened his professional work. Living and working in countries with different cultures, systems and approaches to problem-solving taught him to examine challenges from multiple perspectives.
“My research has benefited from the diverse perspectives I gained abroad,” he said. “I often ask questions that others may not have considered because of the different experiences I have had in the countries where I have lived and worked.”
At the University of Alberta, Oyedun contributed to sustainability research, including work connected to the federal Clean Fuel Regulations and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He later worked with the Government of Alberta on initiatives to advance the province’s bioeconomy and explore renewable alternatives in an economy closely associated with oil and gas.
His work has included research into biofuels, renewable energy, waste reduction, plastic recycling and ways to convert discarded materials into useful resources.
As a senior project manager in applied research at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Oyedun oversaw collaborative projects aimed at reusing and recycling plastics while reducing their environmental impact.
He now leads Crescite Consulting and Strategic Group, where he combines engineering, sustainability, policy and strategic planning to help organizations turn environmental ambitions into practical solutions.
Oyedun’s belief in diversity extends beyond social inclusion.
He regards it as essential to good engineering because people with different experiences are more likely to identify overlooked problems and propose solutions that serve a wider section of society.
That conviction has driven Oyedun’s involvement with Black Engineers of Canada and his mentorship of internationally trained professionals and newcomers.
He also volunteers with an Edmonton program that connects immigrants with experienced mentors.
Oyedun remembers arriving without full knowledge of Canada’s professional landscape and being unable to pursue some opportunities because he had not yet secured permanent residency, which he obtained in 2017.
Those experiences now inform his work with newcomers.
“I struggled when I came in because there were many things I did not know and opportunities that were not open to me,” said Oyedun who now uses his experience to chart a course for newcomers interested in research, engineering and community service.
His objective is to provide some of the guidance, professional connections and encouragement that newcomers often need to convert their qualifications into meaningful Canadian opportunities.
“I struggled when I came in, but I don’t want the next immigrant to struggle,” he said.
Oyedun has applied the same outlook to the fight against food insecurity.
He is president and board chair of Redeemers Food Bank, a Black-led non-profit providing emergency food assistance to individuals and families facing crises in Edmonton and other Alberta communities.
The organization distributes food while working toward the broader goal of reducing poverty and hunger. Its work brings together several concerns that have shaped Oyedun’s career, including resource conservation, waste reduction and ensuring essential resources reach people who need them.
His engagement with Canada began long before he became eligible to vote. Even before receiving permanent resident status, he followed Canadian politics, supported people seeking public office and looked for opportunities to understand the institutions governing his new home.
Oyedun also approached accomplished individuals and asked them to mentor him.
“If I saw something people were doing, I approached them and asked, ‘Can you mentor me? I want to know more about this,’” he said. “Every opportunity that came, I leveraged it.”
The father of two said his sense of belonging developed almost immediately after his arrival. One child accompanied the couple to Canada, while their second was born here.
In his Nigerian culture, Oyedun said people often pray that those who travel abroad will return home with the rewards of their success. While he appreciates the sentiment, he no longer regards Canada simply as the foreign country where he built his career.
“I always tell my wife that I don’t really say amen to that prayer because this is home for me,” he said. “From the beginning, I felt that I loved this country, wanted to be involved and wanted to do more here.”
That commitment has transformed an uncertain winter arrival into a Canadian success story measured by more than academic credentials, professional titles or awards.
Oyedun has used each door that opened for him to create another for someone else, applying engineering to environmental challenges, leadership to community needs and the lessons of his immigrant journey to make the path less difficult for those following behind.
