Olumide Owulade: Scholar-engineer advancing infrastructure and sustainable energy systems

In the global race for sustainable energy and smart infrastructure, Africa’s intellectual voice is rising, and at its forefront is Engr. Olumide Akindele Owulade, a Nigerian control systems expert, whose scholarly work is helping to redefine engineering practice at the intersection of energy, artificial intelligence, and environmental sustainability.

With over 15 peer-reviewed publications in international journals, Owulade is not only a senior engineer at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) but also a highly regarded academic contributor in the emerging fields of AI-enabled control systems, carbon tracking, and project governance for industrial sustainability.

“Engineering today must do more than solve technical problems—it must also address global goals around climate, resilience, and digital integration,” said Owulade in a recent interview

Trained as an electrical and electronics engineer with a Master of Project Management and an MBA from the University of Lagos, Owulade’s unique value lies in his ability to synthesise field experience with advanced academic insight.

His articles demonstrate a deep understanding of system architecture, optimisation models, and real-time monitoring, all grounded in practical fieldwork conducted on national infrastructure projects across Nigeria.

Notable among his scholarly contributions is “AI-Enabled Smart Grid Systems for Energy Efficiency and Carbon Footprint Reduction” (IJMRGE, Jan–Feb 2024), in which Owulade co-developed models for real-time load balancing and emissions tracking in urban energy networks.

Collectively, these works have been cited across disciplines—from environmental engineering to computer science—confirming their cross-sectoral significance and global reach. Owulade’s body of research fills critical knowledge gaps in the design and governance of intelligent infrastructure for emerging economies.

His investigations into predictive analytics, IoT-based control systems, and smart city frameworks address a longstanding challenge: how to make Africa’s infrastructure not only functional, but future-ready.

His work on “Big Data Analytics for Supply Chain Sustainability” (IJMRGE, 2024) introduced metrics for evaluating greenhouse gas emissions in logistics, an area where policy lags often hinder enforcement. By proposing a data-driven compliance model, Owulade’s research supports both environmental stewardship and economic planning.

Owulade’s scholarly prominence is validated by his recurring authorship in globally circulated journals such as: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation (IJMRGE), IRE Journals, Engineering and Technology Journal, International Journal of Management and Entrepreneurship Research, International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology.

His research is cited by scholars working on global policy at institutions across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Several of his papers have been incorporated into academic syllabi and cited in grant proposals for sustainable infrastructure projects.

“Owulade’s scholarship represents the future of engineering education—evidence-based, cross-disciplinary, and globally applicable,” noted Dr. Raymond Isi, co-author and academic consultant on industrial systems research.

Through his prolific output, Owulade is helping to create a roadmap for African engineers aiming to lead in digital transformation, climate technology, and sustainability.

His writing style balances scientific rigour with practical relevance, often supported by real case studies from his work at NNPC projects spanning Chevron, Mobil, Shell, and Total partnerships.

In addition to research, Owulade serves as a mentor to young engineers, contributes to proposal development for national refinery upgrades, and actively champions the development of indigenous technical standards for instrumentation systems.

As Nigeria accelerates its ambitions for energy diversification, carbon neutrality, and the deployment of smart infrastructure, scholars like Engr. Olumide Owulade are proving that research is not merely academic—it is transformational.

His scholarship stands as a bridge between theory and practice, technology and sustainability, Nigeria and the world.

Engr. Owulade’s contributions affirm that African researchers are not only participating in global conversations—they are leading them.