Engr. Prof. Kennedy Chinedu Okafor is a Visiting Professor of Mechatronics at the Federal University of Allied-Health Sciences, Nigeria, and a UK Exceptional Global Talent Awardee. He is a Senior IEEE Volunteer, a UK technology adviser on antitrust and digital transformation, and holds a Ph.D. in Digital Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Prof. Kennedy was formerly a senior lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, and completed postdoctoral research and fellowships in mechatronics and software engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Chichester, UK, as well as in data strategy/GenAI at Imperial College London. He has also served as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
His expertise spans emerging technologies, including multi-cloud systems, lightweight driverless cars, advanced robotics, cybersecurity, generative AI, and Industry 4.0. He advises global policymakers on digital transformation to address societal challenges and has secured over £2M in funding for health and climate resilience projects. Notable contributions include work on UK Natural Capital Asset services (£1.8 trillion, 2023) and the UK Woodland Project (£318 billion, 2024).
Prof. Kennedy has organised and co-hosted more than 50 IEEE symposiums and international events on topics such as Big Data and Green ICT, and he has delivered keynote addresses at global IEEE conferences. He is the founder of the IEEE Consultant Network Affinity Group and the co-founder and chair of IEEE Skillup Hub Region 8 (Africa, Middle East & Europe).
Holding 32+ professional certifications/trainings (such as IEEE, Cisco, AWS, IBM, CompTIA, etc.), Kennedy has made impactful contributions across academia, industry, and policy domains. His work includes advising the Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Cybersecurity, leading IEEE COVID-19 robotics projects, supporting Tesco autonomous vehicle initiatives, and contributing to UK national digital infrastructure programmes. He has also advised on UK Mobile SMS, OSPS, and horizon scanning projects since 2024.
Prof. Kennedy has published over 150 technical papers, reviewed more than 500 research manuscripts, and completed 300+ editorial assignments for Scopus- and WoS-indexed journals. He regularly reviews for leading publishers, including IEEE, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis. His ongoing collaborations include A1Tronix, Tesco PLC (UK), the University of Johannesburg (South Africa), LESA Center (USA), Cisco Systems, and National Instruments (USA).