INTERVIEW: US awardee, Akinwande, speaks on Nobel prize, tech innovations and Opebi Allen

Deji Akinwande, a Nigerian professor who was recently named by President Barack Obama for US government highest research award, says he is always a Nigerian.

In an interview with TheCable, Akinwande said he is very interested in Nigeria, and is currently seeking research collaboration with some Nigerian universities.

Akinwande, who grew up in Opebi Allen, Ikeja area of Lagos state and left Nigeria as a teenager in 1994, said his invention is aimed at building more energy efficient electronic chips to make mobile phones last a week or two without charging.

Akinwande speaks about his childhood, the United States and Nobel Prize in physics.

Your story is a compelling story of a Nigerian, doing great things beyond the shores of his father land. Can you tell us what about your younger years  your schooling from primary education till you left Nigeria and life at Opebi-Allen in contrast with life in the US.

I grew up in Ikeja and my dad was an accountant at one of the major newspapers and my mom was a government employee at the ministry of education. I went to grace children school (perhaps in Gbagada) and did well, I was a good student. After that I went to FGC (Federal government college) Idoani, where I became very interested in engineering. I would say I was above average, but there were many students that were more outstanding.

I studied hard and enjoyed the dorm life as I rose to SSS3. I did the normal things we all did then; Woke up early to go to the dam to get water to bath, had coal irons to iron our uniform, manual labour to cut the grass, did errands for seniors, was active in the school church fellowship. Importantly we had very good teachers so I learned a lot. During the school break, I enjoyed walking around Allen avenue with my friends who lived in the area, played video games, went to country club, window shopping…normal stuff for kids back then.

In the US, it is very different, things are more formal, you schedule appointments to meet friends and associates. It is much harder to have lasting relations because people move around quite a bit and the country is very large. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful place to pursue your own ideas and forge your own destiny.

Let’s have an insight into your family background: parents, siblings and how the love for physics came to be.

Love of physics and engineering was organic for me. My dad was accountant and mom was a chef, but I have always been more interested in science and engineering from an early age. Perhaps drawn by great questions such as the origin of life or the universe. Several of my uncles also went to get a PhD in electrical engineering, notably my uncle Tayo Akinwande at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). My brothers are all in accounting after my dad. I find engineering to be a wonderful discipline to bring ideas to life and to make things, which is of course very rewarding.

Many Nigerians will like to associate themselves with your unique feat, but they may think of you as an alien who got opportunities they cannot get. What would you say to that class of Nigerians?

I believe without a doubt that fellow Nigerians in my position will probably do just as well or better. Like I mentioned I was just above average at secondary school, many of my peers there will certainly have done well in the US and are doing well even in Nigeria. The most important thing is hard work and some good fortune once in a while. When I was 17 and roaming the streets of Opebi, sometimes I used to read some of the stories of fellow Nigerians that were doing well abroad, of course it was completely foreign and out of reach for me. God gave me an opportunity and I have been fortunate to make the most out of it.

You’ve spent so many years abroad, do you still feel Nigerian? Would it be inaccurate for Nigerians to see you as one of their own blazing the trail in international circles?

Once a Nigerian you are always a Nigerian. No Nigerian can forget this in America. I am proud of this and several times a month I am asked where I am from. I find that most Americans are very curious to know more about Nigeria and many have heard about the Super Eagles.

Your invention makes sense to me someone with a fair science background. But many others do not know how significant this is for nanoscience and layman application. May you explain?

The basic idea is to make electronic chips more energy efficient so your mobile phone can last a week or two without charging. We have made significant progress in this direction that could impact the everyday life of everybody.

Do you have personal plans for technological developments in Nigeria?

I have a strong desire for development in Nigeria. As we speak I have been talking with several universities in Lagos and Ondo to establish a collaboration that will research a new technology for water purification and advanced nanomaterials for industry. We believe these ideas are immediately suitable to benefit Nigerian society using local capabilities and expertise.

What are your thoughts on the social, economic and political climate of the Nigerian system, with emphasis on President Buhari’s stay in office thus far?

I leave the politics to the politicians. I must say that Nigeria has a great amount of human potential and together we can address common challenges.

I understand your work on Silicene was the most cited work in Nanoscience for 2015. Do you have dreams of winning a Nobel prize for physics in the nearest future?

While we are honoured to receive recognition, our main passion is researching novel ideas to find new discoveries that will benefit society. In this regard, awards are not the essence of our pursuit but simply icing on the cake.

What are your thoughts on Nigerian education: schools, teachers, salaries?

I am not familiar with the current details. However, these issues are not unique to Nigeria, the exact same questions are asked continually in the US.