An interview with doctor ibikunle, from the department of Electrical Engineering Covenant university

Members of the Mac thinkers group went out to scout for some science and technology news items, we then stumbled upon Doctor Ibikunle from the department of Electrical engineering, He took his time to explain the current trends of science and technology in Covenant university and also in Nigeria.

Science and Technology trends in Nigeria

MACTHINKERS: thank you sir for this opportunity to interview you. So our first question is: are the latest telecommunications equipments available and used in Nigeria?

INTERVIEWEE: Uhh, yes, some are available but not all, because when you talk of telecommunication equipments we have what we call technology, we have 1G, 2G, 3G AND 4G. In terms of these generational telecommunication equipments, definitely 1G was available but has faded out. We have 2G now available and while some companies but not all have 3G also available. But 4G is not available. So to your question, we have some new telecommunication equipments but not all. Some companies have these equipments while some do not.

MACTHINKERS: Thank you sir. Has any Nigerian developed any modern telecommunication equipment that is now used around the world?

INTERVIEWEE: No, no Nigerian or Nigerian company has ever done that. We are consumers of these telecommunication equipments. We import most of them; we are not developing anything yet. Although there are some certain things coupling, we couple some. We buy it and then we come here and couple them. So we are not developing anything, rather we buy it and then we couple them like some mobile phones. Some mobile phones, the coupling are here, so they come with all the necessary components and they now couple it up. We are not the one developing it.

MACTHINKERS: Sir, due to your experience in Electrical Information and Telecommunications, are there fields that have not been covered in terms of use like develop like 3G, 4G in Nigeria and the possibility of 5G telecommunication band.

INTERVIEWEE: The possibility of 5G telecommunication, let’s forget it now. Even the 3G and 4G, we are not yet in it, so don’t let us talk about 5G now. But in terms of 2G, they are in use and 3G some are in use but not all companies are in use of 3G equipments, 4G, not yet. In terms of broadband, when you say broadband, wireless broadband, there are some companies; one or two companies have started that and you can say those one are 3G or towards 4G and we call the WIFI systems. So we can say some of them are here while some are not here but not fully in operation. But we will get at it but it will only take us time.

MACTHINKERS; Sir for our final question, are our Nigerian Telecommunication Operators operating to full capacity?

INTERVIEWEE: Not! They are not operating to full capacity. When you say a company operating to full capacity, that means, you must be having at least 80 percent of the population or of the system being occupied or being used. So, so many operators still have their equipments there but not all are being used. The systems are not being utilized especially the new technology like 3G. Many people in the country do not even know what 3G is and what its features are, what they are after is just the voice. So we are not really utilizing the capacity of the systems. They are many features on this technology we are talking about, 3G. But many Nigerians, sorry to say Nigerians. Many Africans are just after the voice, just talk and that’s all. So as a result, we are not fully utilizing our operating capacity.

MACTHINKERS: Thank you very much sir for you time. God bless you sir.