Electrical Engineering Expert Champions Indigenous Innovation for Africa’s Tech Future

By Tosin Clegg,

The University of Ilorin was a beehive of intellectual activity as scholars, engineers, graduate students, and industry leaders converged for the 28th Academic Conference on Knowledge and Sustainable Development: An Inter-Disciplinary Approach.

The event, organized by the Sub-Sahara African Academic Research Publications, attracted wide-ranging participation and focused on the theme “Sub-Sahara Indigenous Knowledge and New Discoveries in Sustainable Development.”

The conference took place on November 30th, 2022, and one of the standout contributions came from Engineer Abdulrasheed Yinka Issa, a research scholar in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ilorin and a consultant to multiple organizations in the field of communication electronics.

His opening research presentation placed engineering at the heart of Africa’s pursuit of sustainable economic growth and global relevance in communication electronics.

Engr. Issa’s work focused on one of the most vital areas of the global economy: communication electronics and radio propagation engineering. In an era where digital connectivity drives financial inclusion, governance, education, healthcare, and commerce, reliable communication infrastructure is not just a tool for convenience, it is a lifeline for development. He reminded participants that the strength of Africa’s digital economy from mobile banking in rural Nigeria to e-learning in South Africa and telemedicine in Ghana, rests on the resilience and adaptability of communication systems. However, Africa’s unique terrains, urban density, and atmospheric conditions demand localized solutions, not imported models that fail to capture the realities of Sub-Saharan environments.
The backbone of Engr. Issa’s presentation was a large-scale empirical study conducted by Engineer Issa and his research group at the University of Ilorin on radio propagation path loss in the VHF (30–300 MHz) and UHF (300–3000 MHz) band. These bands are central to broadcasting, mobile communications, and emerging broadband systems, yet most planning in Africa has historically relied on models designed in Europe, North America, or Asia. The study set out to answer a critical question: How do communication signals behave in real African environments, and how can models be improved to ensure reliable deployment of networks?. In his report of their key findings, First, signal strength varied dramatically between urban, suburban, and rural settings. Building density, vegetation, and terrain irregularities emerged as significant factors in determining path loss. Second, popular global models such as COST-231, ECC-33, and Okumura-Hata were tested against extensive field data collected in Nigerian environments. The results showed consistent inaccuracies, underscoring the risks of relying on imported frameworks. Third, optimized Local Models: The team developed adjusted propagation models calibrated to Sub-Saharan conditions, reducing error margins significantly. These localized models promise more efficient network planning, reduced infrastructural waste, and greater reliability of service.
Engineer Issa reported the implications of this research stretch far beyond academia. By adopting four localized models. First is communication reliability which can boost Africa’s GDP by an estimated 2–3% annually, consistent with World Bank findings that a 10% increase in broadband penetration yields up to 1.5% GDP growth in developing economies. In addition, governments and telecom operators stand to save more than $500 million yearly in infrastructure costs, avoiding wasted capital on ill-suited deployment strategies. In addition, accurate models will enable expansion of mobile broadband to underserved rural areas, bringing financial services, e-learning, and healthcare access to millions of Africans and lastly was an improved networks that will accelerate growth in fintech, agritech, healthtech, and e-commerce sectors, to generate millions of jobs for Africa’s youthful population. Engr. Issa emphasized that these outcomes are not theoretical. With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, communication infrastructure will be the decisive factor determining whether the continent thrives in the digital age or remains on the margins.
While tailored to Sub-Saharan Africa, the research has universal implications. Regions with similar terrain and infrastructural challenges from parts of Latin America to Southeast Asia and even rural North America could adopt the models for more reliable network planning. In a world transitioning to 5G and 6G technologies, issues of spectrum efficiency, propagation accuracy, and rural connectivity are pressing global challenges. University of Ilorin’s research offers practical solutions that reduce costs and ensure sustainability.
The conference theme: Sub-Sahara Indigenous Knowledge and New Discoveries in Sustainable Development, was more than a slogan. Engineer Issa’s work epitomized how local insights, when merged with rigorous engineering research, can produce globally relevant outcomes by integrating traditional knowledge of terrain, settlement patterns, and community behavior with modern communication engineering, researchers are ensuring that solutions are contextual, affordable, and sustainable.
As the 28th Academic Conference concluded, the message was clear: Africa’s path to sustainable development runs through engineering innovation and indigenous knowledge. The University of Ilorin’s pioneering research on communication electronics represents not just an academic achievement but a blueprint for how Africa can leverage science to drive prosperity. For Engr. Abdulrasheed Yinka Issa and his research team, the work continues. Their mission is to ensure that every African, whether in bustling Lagos or a remote village in Kwara State, can benefit from reliable communication networks, and as the global economy becomes ever more digital, Africa’s contribution to communication science may prove to be one of the continent’s greatest gifts to the world.