Titilayo Adelaja Kuku's career in science and engineering likely would have been short-circuited if not for the help of others. Today, Titilayo--a former ICTP associate--continues to expand his career horizons through his participation in the Centre's Programme for Training and Research in Italian Laboratories (TRIL).

A TRIL-ing Experience

The journey from a remote school house in western Africa to a distinguished career in science and engineering has not been easy for Titilayo Adelaja Kuku, an associate professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Since completing his schooling, Titilayo has travelled to northern Italy on five different occasions to conduct research at the universities of Trieste, Parma and Pavia. There, he has enjoyed access to excellent research facilities as part of the ICTP's Programme for Training and Research in Italian Laboratories (TRIL). When Titilayo comes to Italy, he has the added opportunity of visiting his older brother, Aderemi, a mathematics professor and researcher in ICTP's Math Group, who has played an instrumental role in his career.

"I would not have earned a doctorate in engineering without my brother's help," says the younger Kuku. "Then, when I needed access to sophisticated laboratory equipment for my post-doctorate research, the ICTP's TRIL programme gave me an opportunity to work in state-of-the art facilities."

Both Titilayo and Aderemi grew up in Ijebu Ode, a town of several hundred thousand people located about 100 kilometres from the Atlantic coast. Ijebu Ode serves as the capital city for the Ijebu language group.

"Nigeria has about 120 million people; only about 3 million are Ijebus. Yet, a large number of Nigeria's industrialists, businessmen and academics trace their roots to this small group," Titilayo notes.

At 13, Titilayo entered a five-year secondary school in Ibadan, a town some 80 kilometres from his home. State scholarships deferred some of the expense but his older brother also provided critical financial support.

Titilayo's talents in science and engineering, first displayed at the secondary school, blossomed at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in the early 1970s. That's where he received his undergraduate degree in chemistry. From there, Titilayo left his native country to study in England at the University of Southampton, where he received a masters degree in electronics, and then at Imperial College, where he was awarded a doctorate in electrical engineering.

"From the earliest days of my university education," Titilayo explains, "I've always tried to straddle the worlds of basic and applied research. At the same time, I've always desired to apply my skills and talents in Nigeria."

Today, Titilayo, who advises Nigeria's Energy Commission on issues related to photovoltaics, is seeking to establish photovoltaic production facilities in Nigeria through joint ventures with several Italian companies.

Despite these initiatives, Titilayo has often been disappointed by events in his home country over the past 15 years. "Nigeria has been torn apart by political instability and undermined by severe economic difficulties. Both universities and researchers have found it extremely difficult to receive sufficient funding."

"The University of Ife was founded in 1962," Titilayo notes. "As an undergraduate student in the early 1970s, I found it a youthful, energetic place. The atmosphere proved extremely conducive to learning and research."

"When I returned to Nigeria in the early 1980s after receiving my doctorate in England, much had changed. A few numbers tell the story. The laboratory budget for the Semiconductor Programme at Imperial College exceeded US$5 million. At the University of Ife, the budget for a similar programme did not even reach US$500,000."

That's why the ICTP's TRIL programme has been so crucial to his career. "Because of the economic difficulties in Nigeria, it has been impossible to maintain the university's facilities, let alone provide new ones. My research would have languished without the generous assistance provided by the Centre in cooperation with Italy's laboratories."

Beyond the key role that the Centre has played in his career, Titilayo appreciates how the ICTP nurtures an atmosphere in which scientists from the developing world can share their experiences. "It's always rewarding to come to Italy and meet people with similar backgrounds and problems."

"The daily treks that I took each day between my home and school so long ago remain fresh in my mind," Titilayo warmly recalls. "They remind me that with determination--and a helping hand--even a small boy from a small town in western Africa can follow his dream."

Back to Contents Forward to Profile

Home