"I have published over 22 scholarly research articles in
reputable high quality peer-reviewed journals..."
- Engr. Dr. Samuel Oliver
Effiom, a young scholar who bagged a Ph.D at 28, recounts....
An Alumnus of Cranfield
University, United Kingdom, where he obtained his Master's degree in Thermal Power
(Gas Turbine/Aerospace Propulsion Technology), Dr. Samuel Effiom, is a University
Don who has spent only less than a decade in the academic environment but
astonishingly, has published over 22 scholarly researched articles in reputable
high quality peer-reviewed journals.
Effiom, is also a
practicing Engineer and Consultant, who engages in several developmental
engineering projects within and outside his state of origin, Cross River,
Nigeria.
In this interview with GLOBAL
ACHIEVERS MEDIA, Engr. Dr. Samuel Oliver Effiom talks about his path to success
and the positive exploit he hopes to make in the future.
GAM: Can we meet you?
EFFIOM: Yes, you can! I am Samuel Oliver
Effiom. I am an Engineer by profession. I
love breaking stereotypes and am always fanatical about airplanes.
I play various roles such as a husband to a loving wife, son to
adoring parents, an elder brother to four siblings, best friend to an older sister,
friend to a supportive community and a teacher to young minds.
My natural gift in science and mathematics has led me to become
a top-performing Mechanical/Aerospace Engineer with
years of professional experience in propulsion & power systems availability
and reliability, applied energy & environmental sustainability, engine health
monitoring & performance, computational techniques in engineering, engineering
project management, strategic partnership & contract management, and Engineering
education & research.
The city of Calabar,
Nigeria has played a great role in my formative years. From reciting the alphabets
in kindergarten at St. Christopher Nursery/Primary School and
learning about science, spirituality and morality at Immaculate Conception Seminary,
Mfamosing, in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State up to becoming a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Cross River University of Technology.
My first reality check was while
I was away in the United Kingdom for my Master’s in Aerospace program and I had
to adapt to the culture shock. I further obtained a Ph.D in
Energy & Power Engineering, specializing in Aeroderivative Propulsion Systems
Performance and Environmental Sustainability from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,
Umudike, at the age of 28 in 2017.
GAM: Can you share some of
the moments and memories of growing up days?
EFFIOM: As a young child then, I was
one of those children that did not like the idea of going to school. I give some
credit to my Dad because he often chased me to the school gate every morning, and
anything short of that meant I would skip school. The consistency is one of the
foundations of who I am today.
Another memory that stands out while growing up was my childhood
home. We lived in a Polytechnic Staff Quarters that could be accessible to anyone.
It was amazing how my parents were able to filter through the environment by monitoring
kids we met with at the time. In a family of six children, we quickly learnt to
play together and fought each other those times. Now, we have been each other’s
best friends till date. Having disciplinarians as parents meant that activities,
like what we watched on TV, the games we played, where we visit, and so on, were
controlled by our parents. I have very present parents who were very involved in
my life and that helped me through academics, emotional maturity and all.
My life style of focus, studiousness and hardwork were groomed
from an early stage so it is no surprise that I am where I am today.
GAM: What course did you read
in the University and what informed your choice of your course of study?
EFFIOM: Mechanical Engineering was
my only obvious choice. Airplanes have always made me smile. I was always curious
about how they work and engineering was a way for me to find that out. From the
onset, numbers were always easy for me as well as Mathematics and Physics
subjects in school.
Fortunately for me and with the help of my mentors; Engr.
Maurice Ken Leo & Engr. Prof. Fidelis Abam, I found my path in the field of
Mechanical Engineering. My sole dream of design and operation of airplanes, sustainable
energy systems, and efficient power generation solutions drove my study through
the years.
GAM: How can you deploy your
knowledge in your field of study to the development of your country?
EFFIOM: As an academic, I feel privileged
to interact with young people daily. My goal is to shape the mind of the young Nigerian
and broaden his horizon. Lecturing in the field of Applied Energy and Propulsion
Engineering allows me to uncover my students individuality in the class room and
help them apply their creativity in the society. I have a firm belief that anyone
can learn and so none is left behind under my mentorship.
Being a researcher, I have offered professional services to humanity
in teaching and novel multi-disciplinary research at undergraduate and postgraduate
levels. I have published over 22 scholarly research articles in reputable high quality
peer-reviewed journals (as found in my Google scholar account) and I have worked
in collaboration with researchers in diaspora on Applied Energy, Power and Aerospace
Propulsion Developmental Research Projects. I also render professional services
to improve the quality of learned engineering journals through peer reviewing.
As a practicing Engineer and Consultant, I engage in several developmental
engineering projects within Cross River State, offer professional and community
services to clients and proactively spearhead the long-term success of projects
in Nigeria.
Giving back to the society is one of my daily mantras and very
recently, my team of Engineers designed and built devices that can be accessible
to low income class citizens in any health care service station during the current
COVID 19 pandemic. We designed an indigenous low-cost miniature mechanical ventilator
to aid infected patients and a wireless social distancing electronic tracking device
to prevent virus contagion.
GAM: You acquired your Ph.D
at a very young age of 28. How did you feel about it?
EFFIOM: I felt a sense of satisfaction.
Schooling abroad for my second degree was an important factor to acquiring a Ph.D.
A new environment exposed me to different cultures, ideas and norms. I met even younger
scholars with big ideas and different solving approach to what I was used to. I
was reassured of the possibility when I met Dr. Michael Borg and Dr. Burhan Saeed
who bagged a Ph.D in Offshore and Wind Energy Engineering at 24 and Ph.D
in Aeronautical Engineering at 26, respectively.
GAM: What were some of the
challenges you faced on your path to success?
EFFIOM: One striking challenge was
a change in environment. Before then, I had never left home and I had to learn to
adapt to a new lifestyle. Insufficient fund was a constraint. This enabled me to
develop skills such as; budgeting, savings, delayed gratification, etc.
Emotional burnouts was also a problem and one way I overcame that
was by journaling my activities and schedules to ensure that no task or deadline
was missed. Accepting these challenges and facing them head-on paved way to my success.
GAM: What are your dreams or
plans for your community, state, and country?
EFFIOM: I aspire to be a key player
in promoting engineering education in Nigeria and to make meaningful contributions
in fostering the well-being of young Engineers and engineering students.
My dream is to change wrong perceptions of engineering in Nigeria
such as lack of jobs, low income, poor technical know-how, etc. I desire to have
a dynamic collaboration with local and international agencies, engineering parastatals,
government, and institutions to set up free academic virtual resource/support services,
and computational engineering resource laboratories to assist young Engineers in
their learning process.
Upcoming projects will be revealed in due time.
GAM: If you were to change
anything in your country, what would that be?
EFFIOM: The educational system and
engineering curriculum. It should be designed to be entrepreneurial driven and industry-focused
by linking theoretical module application to everyday challenges especially within
industry and current best practices. This will make the young graduate engineers
more resourceful and self-employed. Also, students will have the ample opportunity
to embellish their theoretical knowledge with real world examples and scenarios.
This will make them more practical and innovative.
GAM: You are newly married,
can you tell us how you met your wife?
EFFIOM: All thanks to the engineering
profession. We met at a conference during our postgraduate study in the United Kingdom.
During the Q and A, she asked a question, her voice caught my attention and since
then, I have stuck to her.
GAM: How is your social life,
and what do you enjoy doing outside official hours?
EFFIOM: A glass of chilled Campari
is my go-to happy place. I do not just work to earn a living but to have a life.
My family is my core and so getting to do activities with them is always a pleasure.
GAM: Where do you see yourself
in the next ten years?
EFFIOM: I would have attained the peak
of my career as a professor. As a young professor, I would be in an influential
position to motivate young Engineers to break common stereotypes. I would also like
to build an institution that caters for holistic development of an engineer.
GAM: Are you comfortable with
the leadership and state of affairs in your country?
EFFIOM: Nigeria is very much behind
in governing and socio-economic trends compared to most African and European countries
and our current government needs to adopt working policies from thriving western
countries.
GAM: Do you hope to go into
politics sometimes in the future?
EFFIOM: Currently, I do not think I
would be a right fit for Politics in Nigeria. However, it could be a nice idea if
an opportunity allows me to serve the country.
GAM: Do you have any regret
in life?
EFFIOM: I ensure my life is not filled
with regret because I always give all I have towards my goal at every moment of
my life. This has absolved me from every guilt or possible disappointment, since
I tackled my challenges with the capacity available-to at each time.
GAM: Sometime last year, you
were honoured with an award by this media platform. How did you feel about it?
EFFIOM: Despite the fact that I never
saw it coming, I was overwhelmingly pleased, honoured, and humbled to accept
the award. It spurred me to do more. I keep being grateful to God and all who made
it possible and were part of my educational voyage.
GAM: As a University teacher,
what is your assessment of the standard of education in Nigeria as compared to developed
countries of the world?
EFFIOM: The Nigerian educational system
needs to improve if we want to improve the state of our society. There are problems
of corruption, poor budgeting, and embezzling, poor infrastructure, paucity of quality
teaching personnel, unconducive learning environment, and limited funding, as a
result of neglect from authorities. Within the institution, several challenges such
as; Politics, tribalism, prejudice, corruption, cultism, victimization, and laziness
have been known to cause brain drain in Nigeria.
The efforts of the university community is not to be undermined,
however there is only so much we can contribute.
GAM: How do you feel each time
University dons are in the news on ‘sex for mark’, bribery or for other scandalized
reasons?
EFFIOM: Disheartening! Such acts
are disastrous to the system and should be totally condemned. They are
traceable to the ills I earlier mentioned.
They have eroded the spirit of excellence
and hard work amongst undergraduates with good potentials and have posed different
levels of mishap and psycho-social trauma on the affected students.
EFFIOM: My dream is to help young minds
maximize their potentials. I want to ensure that every role I take as I ascend through
life motivates others to be the best of themselves.
GAM: Thank you for your time.
EFFIOM: Thank you immensely for the honour.
