Prof. Kennedy Chinedu Okafor holds a Ph.D. in Digital Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He began his academic career as an Assistant Lecturer, rising to Senior Lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, contributing to research and teaching in embedded systems and networked robotics.
Previously, he also worked as a Senior Research Engineer at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI, Nigeria) and as a Network Engineer at the UNN Nigeria Innovation Center, further strengthening his expertise in applied research, networked systems, and technology innovation.
He advanced his research career through postdoctoral fellowships in Mechatronics and Software Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Chichester, UK, and furthered his expertise in Data Strategy and Generative AI at Imperial College London. He also served as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, contributing to cross-continental research on smart systems and intelligent infrastructure.
Currently, Prof. Kennedy is a Faculty Member in Biomedical Engineering at the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu, Nigeria, where he specialises in Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems. His research and professional interests span multi-cloud systems, lightweight driverless cars, advanced robotics, cybersecurity, generative AI, and Industry 4.0.
Over the years, he has secured over £2 million in funding for health and climate resilience projects, with notable contributions to the UK Natural Capital Asset Services (£1.8 trillion, 2023) and the UK Woodland Project (£318 billion, 2024), where he served as a Data Scientist at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). He currently serves as a UK Technology Adviser on Antitrust and Digital Markets at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and has previously advised the Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Cybersecurity.
Prof. Kennedy has held major leadership positions within the IEEE, organising and co-hosting over 50 international symposia on Big Data, Green ICT, and Digital Innovation. He is the Founder of the IEEE Consultant Network Affinity Group and Co-founder and Chair of the IEEE SkillUp Hub (Region 8: Africa, Middle East & Europe).
In recognition of his professional excellence, he received the UK Exceptional Global Talent Award (2023), endorsed by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
With over 32 professional certifications (IEEE, Cisco, AWS, IBM, CompTIA, etc.), Prof. Okafor continues to bridge academia, industry, and policy. His notable projects include the IEEE COVID-19 Robotics Initiative, Tesco Autonomous Vehicle Systems, and several UK National Digital Infrastructure Programmes such as Mobile SMS, OSPS, and Horizon Scanning.
He has published over 150 technical papers, reviewed more than 500 research manuscripts, and completed over 300 editorial assignments for Scopus- and WoS-indexed journals. His active collaborations include A1Tronix, Tesco PLC (UK), the University of Johannesburg (South Africa), LESA Center (USA), Cisco Systems, and National Instruments (USA).