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Professor of Communication Engineering @ Covenant University
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Jun 12th to Jul 10th, 2021
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About Prof. Francis Idachaba
Francis Enejo Idachaba is currently a Professor of Communication Engineering at Covenant University and Director of the Covenant University Open and Distance Learning Unit. He also served as the immediate past Director of Academic Planning at the University for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 Academic sessions. Before that, he served as Head of the department of Electrical and Information Engineering for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 Academic sessions. He obtained his PhD in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from University of Benin in Nigeria in 2009 and has within the last 13 years served as a Visiting Research Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and a Research Advisor with Shell Petroleum Development Company in Nigeria between 2010 and 2012. He has had over 20 years academic experience with over 120 publications in journals, conferences proceedings, books, and articles. He is a recipient of 8 patents awarded in Nigeria for his products. His key contributions span the areas of rural mobile communication design and development, telecommunication spectrum monitoring and 5G communication policy development to pipeline leak/ intruder detection and national security. During his fellowship with Shell, he served as the Project Engineer for several technology trials for projects including remote wellhead automation, pipeline leak and intruder detection among other projects. He was awarded patents for three pipeline leak containment tools and is currently awaiting the release of other patents already applied for. His current research interest spans the areas of Internet of things, 5G communication, Ehealth and Artificial Intelligence. He recently developed an application for linking rural farmers with crop experts around the globe in real time. He is also involved in spectrum monitoring research and 5G communications technology. He was a part of the team that developed the 5G policy for Nigeria. Professor Idachaba has served and continues to serve as keynote speaker at several events where he proffers solutions to key national challenges. He also serves as a reviewer of several PhD thesis from Universities both in Nigeria and abroad. Professor Idachaba is a recipient of the MIT/Google/Total funded Empower the Teachers Fellowship, the SPE faculty Enhancement Travels grants and the Shell Sabbatical Fellowship. He is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, The Nigerian Society of Engineers and a COREN Registered Engineer in Nigeria
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These interview questions were brought to you by TwoCents and John Amanesi Abubakar
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TwoCents

It is a well known fact that you have a lot of patents - what has been the driving force for creating these patents?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
I love solving problems. My passion for developing solutions is the driving force behind the patents I have received so far.

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Beyond the classroom education, what other activities are helpful for both men and women trying to navigate the communication industry and how impactful have these activities been to your career growth?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
Key activities that are helpful in trying to navigate the communication industry includes engagement in activities that encourage and support the development of solutions to public challenges.
Identification of public challenges and contributing solutions to these challenges will enable one to develop capacity and this will enhance career growth.

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TwoCents

What is your major Research Interest?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
I am currently applying Communications Engineering principles to the Oil and Gas industry in      the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.

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TwoCents

What are the major skill sets required to develop a world-class career in communications.

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
The major skill sets include technical knowledge and creativity. Communications Engineering is  based on fundamental Engineering laws and principles. An understanding of these laws and        some creativity is required to be able to develop innovative solutions in Communication Engineering and develop and world class career in Communication Engineering. 

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How do you decide what to research and what tools to utilize in solving telecommunications problems?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
I look out for problems to solve and new innovations to make. These innovations may include improvements in existing processes or the development of new and better/faster approaches at solving existing problems.

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TwoCents

Was there a time you had to choose between being in the industry over academia? What was the main influence in your decision?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
I had gone to Shell for a one year sabbatical and upon the completion of the sabbatical, my          team in Shell requested that i stay on to help complete the projects i was handling and i stayed   for another year. After that second year, the team in Shell pleaded with me to stay back but i had to return because i had given my word that i would return back to continue teaching. I knew i had some more assignments to complete in the academia. Those were the reasons why I came back.

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How does the communication industry influence the Tech industry? and vice versa

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
Communication is the lifeblood of the Tech industry. Systems are completely limited if the operate as standalone devices. The Internet of things has shown that independent devices communicating with each other creates systems with limitless capabilities.

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What are the major gaps in the communication industry in Nigeria and also world wide? How do you think this gap can be bridged?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
The lack of adequate research facilities and opportunities for testing out new and innovative         ideas are the major gaps in the communications engineering industry in Nigeria. We continue to serve as testing grounds and consumers of technology without being able to make meaningful    contributions to the development of these technologies.

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What has made you continue your career path in academia? What is your driving force and motivation? What advice will you give to young people that want to take up this path?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
The academia gives you an opportunity to think. You are in a position to train young people and also inspire them and yourself to grow and advance. With the academia, you are able to stay current with the changes in the technology space, contribute to the advancement of technology       both directly through our research and indirectly through our students. When we take these technologies to the market, it ends up translating to financial benefits for everyone.

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TwoCents

What motivated you to venture into Communication Engineering?

Prof. Francis Idachaba Prof. Francis Idachaba
A family friend who was an Electronics Engineer counseled me and told me that with Electronics Engineering, I could be self employed, so branched out into Electrical and Electronics Engineering for my first degree. Upon graduation, I picked up a job with the Federal Polytechnic Idah and   my HoD asked me to join him in teach Electronics courses. When i went for my masters degree, the options available were either Electronics / Telecommunication  or Power systems. I went for Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering because of the passion i had in design and development of electronic systems. I narrowed down into Communication Engineering when i went  for my PhD because i wanted to solve the problem of access to communication services. I          wanted   to develop solutions that would enable rural dwellers have access to telecommunication services by extending those services to rural areas. I ended up developing a low cost transceiver for my PhD and have been involved in Communication engineering since then.

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