By Kenneth Oboh

Ibiyinka Olatunde is a graduate of Energy Engineering from the De Montfort University, Leicester, UK who is leaving a footprint in her field. In this interview, she discusses the empirical research that informed the collection of more than 250 survey responses from households and businesses. Against the backdrop of growing climate uncertainties, Olatunde emphasizes that effective engineering solutions must be built on flexibility, redundancy, and foresight.

Could you walk us through one of your most transformative real projects and the engineering challenges you faced?

One of the most transformative projects I have worked on was my research titled “Options for Grid Reliability Improvement in Nigeria,” which focused specifically on Rivers State. Although it was an academic dissertation, it felt more like a real engineering deployment because it required me to go beyond desktop modelling and actually engage electricity consumers, grid operators, and technical experts. I needed to understand the lived realities of grid instability, and that required a combination of survey research, structured interviews, and a detailed technical and policy review.

Through this mixed-methods approach, I began diagnosing a grid system facing problems on multiple fronts. I encountered aging and often inadequate transmission and distribution infrastructure that could no longer support the demand placed on it, leading to frequent outages and voltage instability.

Generation reliability was equally constrained due to inconsistent gas supply, and feeders were overloaded as population and industrial activity increased. I also discovered chronic issues with preventive maintenance, which resulted in delayed fault clearing and long restoration times.

There were also socio-economic dynamics intertwined with the technical challenges. Many residents relied heavily on small petrol or diesel generators, which increased pollution and financial strain. Consumers were largely unaware of ongoing government improvement programmes, and there were significant policy and investment barriers limiting long-term power-sector development.

The most transformative aspect of this project was realising how deeply technical challenges, policy shortcomings, and human behaviour interact in shaping grid reliability. It was an exercise in diagnosing a complex, interdependent system – one where engineering solutions alone could not suffice without understanding the broader context. That holistic understanding has become a foundation of how I approach engineering problems today.

What specific engineering decisions or analyses did you make, and what quantifiable results emerged?

To quantify the extent of unreliability in Rivers State, I relied primarily on empirical data rather than simulation tools. I collected more than 250 survey responses from households and businesses and analysed outage frequency, outage duration, coping mechanisms, monthly expenditure on alternative energy, and the broader socio-economic impact of power interruptions. Many respondents reported experiencing power outages every single day, with some enduring up to 12 to 15 hours of power loss.

I also discovered that households were spending between N30,000 and N70,000 monthly on generator fuel, while business owners documented tangible revenue losses directly tied to unreliable power. About 53 percent of respondents depended on generators as their primary backup source. These figures helped contextualize the environmental implications as well, because the reliance on fossil-fuel-based generators contributes significantly to carbon emissions.

To deepen the technical understanding, I conducted interviews with grid engineers working in the region. They described measurable system constraints such as overloaded transmission lines, insufficient reactive power support, inconsistent maintenance cycles, and extended fault isolation times, all of which resulted in poor performance against international reliability indices like SAIDI and SAIFI.

Using insights from both consumers and grid experts, I developed a set of engineering and policy recommendations. These included infrastructure upgrades in high-failure areas, improved maintenance scheduling, distributed renewable energy integration, and enhanced communication channels between utilities and customers. The outcome of this work was not merely a technical report but a comprehensive, data-driven representation of how grid unreliability affects real people. The research ultimately provided stakeholders with a practical pathway to reliability improvement supported by quantifiable evidence.

Tell us about a second standout project where you improved energy efficiency or energy access, and what metrics demonstrated success

Another standout project in my engineering journey was the energy-saving assessment I conducted for the Queen’s Building at De Montfort University as part of my Energy Analysis Techniques module. This project required a detailed evaluation of the building’s energy consumption patterns, and it served as a real-world introduction to the complexities of institutional energy management.

I began by carrying out a physical inspection of key systems, including HVAC operations, lighting, insulation quality, and occupant behaviour. I complemented this with analytical tools such as regression analysis, benchmarking, half-hourly energy profiling, and CUSUM analysis. These techniques helped me uncover patterns that were not immediately visible through casual observation.

The results were striking. The building consistently consumed more electricity and gas than expected for its category, especially during winter months. The half-hourly trends showed clear evidence of unnecessary energy use outside typical occupancy hours. CUSUM analysis further revealed that specific inefficiencies were linked directly to behavioural issues and operational faults, such as over-illumination, open windows during heating periods, and poorly zoned HVAC controls.

By presenting a set of actionable recommendations – ranging from optimising HVAC schedules to improving door control systems and encouraging the use of natural daylight – I demonstrated how the university could significantly reduce its energy waste and lower its carbon footprint. This project reinforced the importance of combining technical diagnostics with practical behavioural insights to create effective energy-management strategies.

How did you integrate social impact with technical innovation in these projects?

In both my grid reliability research and my building energy-efficiency assessment, I consistently approached engineering as a discipline grounded not just in technical performance but in social impact.
For the grid reliability project, the implications were far-reaching. Reliable electricity affects how hospitals function, how schools operate, how businesses grow, and how communities live. My work made it possible to draw a clear connection between technical deficiencies in the grid and the social burdens people carried daily – from health risks linked to generator fumes to financial strain on small businesses.
My energy-efficiency project at the university demonstrated that reducing energy waste goes beyond cost savings. It contributes to the institution’s carbon-reduction goals, improves the quality of the learning environment, and promotes behavioural change among staff and students.

Across my work, I have consistently measured success not just in engineering metrics but in improvements to quality of life, environmental sustainability, and long-term institutional resilience. That integration of technical innovation and human-centered design has become central to my engineering philosophy.

Could you describe a third project where you faced difficult hurdles – regulatory, technical, or financial – and how you achieved measurable improvements?

A third major project that significantly shaped my engineering perspective was the Regional Electrification Plan I developed for Antsiranana, Madagascar. This assignment required designing a long-term electrification strategy for a region with no structured grid infrastructure and significant socio-economic constraints.

The challenges were immense. I needed to develop a system capable of serving hundreds of thousands of residents in a low-income environment while balancing cost, reliability, and the need for renewable integration. The financial requirements were large, with the total investment reaching approximately £1.03 billion. It was also critical to design a future-proof system that could accommodate long-term changes such as the adoption of electric vehicles.

To solve these challenges, I applied demand modelling, HOMER-based optimisation, and financial simulations to evaluate scenarios involving diesel generators, solar PV, wind systems, and battery energy storage. Through iterative modelling, I identified an optimised configuration that achieved 75 percent renewable penetration, met reliability standards, and established a pathway to economic viability with a breakeven point in year six. I also proposed a tariff of £0.067/kWh, supported by structured government subsidies, to ensure affordability for residents.

This project strengthened my understanding of the complexities of large-scale energy planning in developing regions. It taught me how technical, financial, and policy factors must be carefully synchronised to deliver sustainable electrification progress.

How has your expertise evolved to address emerging global needs such as resilience, electrification, and climate adaptation?

My expertise has evolved progressively through the combination of system modelling, field exposure, and sustainability-focused training. Tools such as PowerWorld, HOMER, and SAM equipped me with the ability to simulate renewable systems, evaluate grid stability, and optimize resource allocation. Meanwhile, my practical projects such as the Madagascar electrification plan and the university energy assessment, exposed me to real-world conditions involving aging infrastructure, affordability constraints, and behavioural challenges.

Over time, I have learned that effective engineering solutions must incorporate flexibility, redundancy, and foresight – particularly in a world facing climate uncertainties.

Looking across all your projects, what legacy are you most proud of, and how do you define long-term success?

The legacy I am most proud of is my commitment to producing quantifiable, evidence-based solutions that improve reliability, efficiency, and sustainability in the energy sector. I have demonstrated how reactive power optimisation can reduce technical losses, how structured energy audits can identify practical efficiency gains, and how renewable-heavy electrification designs can serve developing regions sustainably.

For me, long-term success is defined by the lasting value of these solutions. It is reflected in fewer outages experienced by communities, reductions in carbon emissions achieved through efficiency improvements, financial savings generated for institutions, and the continued relevance of my designs and policies long after a project has ended. Ultimately, success means leaving every system in a better and more resilient condition than I found it.