Like many Nigerians, MIT graduate student Chidube Ezeozue grew up frustrated by his nation’s erratic electrical grid.

“Electrical outages are a huge problem in Nigeria,” says Ezeozue, who is pursuing dual master’s degrees in MIT’s Technology and Policy Program and in electrical engineering and computer science. “The outages really interrupt everyday life.”

Nigeria’s supply of electricity is severely limited, resulting in rolling outages: Power is cut off every few hours and redirected to neighborhoods that were previously in the dark. While Nigerians know to expect these power cuts, they rarely know when the outages will happen, or how long they will last.
Since coming to MIT in 2011, Ezeozue — who received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nigeria in 2008, followed by three years of work at a software startup — has created an app, with his brother, that crowdsources information about Nigerian power outages. With the app, called NepaSituation, people living in Nigeria can report outages. This data, when merged into an algorithm developed by Ezeozue, can help Nigerians predict when power outages may strike their neighborhoods, and how long those outages might last.

“With over 100 million cell phones in Nigeria, we knew it was an important resource we could tap into,” Ezeozue says. “It took a while to come up with this algorithm, because the outages are pretty randomized, and the app is only as good as the number of people who enter outage data.”

But Ezeozue has delved into more than just tracking the problem: He is also working to address Nigeria’s chronic energy shortage.

“I started a company that is working to provide solar electricity to businesses and families at zero upfront cost,” Ezeozue says. The company, SolarKobo, was recently funded by a seed grant from MIT’s Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, where Ezeozue is a fellow.

“Nigeria has plenty of solar energy available … for as low as $25 a month, we can make this resource available to those who are interested,” Ezeozue adds.

When he is not working toward the betterment of his homeland, Ezeozue researches machine learning and prediction algorithms in the research group of Una-May O’Reilly, a principal research scientist in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

“We are trying to use medical data, such as blood-pressure levels, to improve patient care,” Ezeozue says. “We observe states that patients’ [blood] pressure goes through and eventually we can predict what state they will go to. These predictions help doctors determine what to expect next.”

Ezeozue is also passionate about education. Along with other Nigerian students at MIT, Ezeozue has started two initiatives to encourage students in Nigeria to pursue higher education outside the country.

In one of these initiatives, which is aimed at high school students, Ezeozue and Chika Ugboh, an MIT chemical engineering student, bought preparatory materials and paid for a few students in one Nigerian school to take the SAT. While this pilot, which was launched in 2011, was not an unequivocal success, Ezeozue says, “We learned that simply providing the materials isn’t enough — it has to be accompanied by mentoring and training.” He and Ugboh are now working to assess how these Nigerian students learn best.

The second of these initiatives is aimed at Nigerian undergraduates: Working through their own networks in Nigeria, Ezeozue and other MIT graduate students are encouraging Nigerian undergraduates who might be interested in postgraduate study abroad.

“The goal is to build a generation of highly educated Nigerians who will hopefully go back to build a better Nigeria,” Ezeozue says. “I plan to eventually go back to Nigeria.”

For now, after graduating from MIT in June, Ezeozue will remain in Cambridge, working as a software engineer for Google.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/student-profile-chidube-ezeozue-0418.html


Its honorary to note that Chidubem once was an active member of this forum, from 2010 and 2011. His moniker is cezeozue and he was active on the 'Preparing for the GRE' thread.

These type of news tickles me, they inspire and fire my spirit, they make me strive to be more than I even aspire to. ingenuity and Nigerians....Lions and Lionesses. God bless you Ezeozue and Ugbo....

Joe.:
These type of news tickles me, they inspire and fire my spirit, they make me strive to be more than I even aspire to. ingenuity and Nigerians....Lions and Lionesses. God bless you Ezeozue and Ugbo....

If i'm right, Ugbo is also from EE, UNN right? Where's he/she now?

Its honorary to note that Chidubem once was an active member of this forum, from 2010 and 2011. His moniker is cezeozue and he was active on the 'Preparing for the GRE' thread.

It is really inspiring to read his story. For those that are not familiar with him, I'll quickly go on to summarise his story for you.
1) He attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka where he read Electrical Engineering (my same course and school). I knew him back then in school - I was in my first year then in 2008 and he was in his final year.
2) He graduated that same year with a 4.83 CGPA. He then took the GRE exam, DICED it like some easy piece of cake and scored 800 in Quantitative, 730 in Verbal (170Q & 168V - perfect scores!).
3) In 2009 he initially applied to MIT, Cambridge and Oxford and got rejections from all 3 three universities. However, he remained undaunted. The following year he applied to 8 universities this time: MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Caltech, UPenn, Penn State, Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison and Columbia (with mixes of M.Sc and Phd). Not only that he applied to universities but he applied to the best US engineering universities.
4) Then the rejections started coming in again despite his pristine profile - 6 of the universities all rejected him for admission. Stanford accepted him for admission but offered him Masters instead of the PhD he applied for and, with no funding. He seriously needed admission + funding and intently looked on to it. MIT was his only hope left. And as God would have it, MIT, of all schools, gave him admission plus the much sought-after funding he all along wanted! His joys knew no bounds. At this point he wrote to Stanford rejecting their offer and afterwards he travelled out in 2011 to study.

Very inspiring story indeed.

It is also worthy to note that many years before now, another EE graduate from UNN broke records when he got accepted into the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (The 3rd best US ECE school) to pursue his masters + funding. Before him no other Nigerian had been accepted into the ECE department of UIUC and few years after him one other Nigerian from another university followed suit. Nigerians making Nigeria proud.

Kudos to him for the hardwork!
But i don't think i need what will tell me when light will be off or the extent. But what will give me constant light at cheap price like he is working on.
May God help him!

wow super lion!, congrats

This is good, a very good invention, every Nigerian youth has a dream but they sometimes don't know how to go about it or get it done. Here is a post on how to get things done.




http://www.elijahforce..com/2013/02/getting-things-done-execution-of-youth.html

My Igbo brother keep moving forward, the moon is your limit. Congrats!

Ndi'Igbo Kwenu

Thumbs up Bro.

Put this kind of threads on fp
Not aa nlder in dis, dat, eating sharwamaa.
Thumbs up man

good thinking good product, google has captured a fantastic brain, great news and good for him.

bigfrancis21: Like many Nigerians, MIT graduate student Chidube Ezeozue grew up frustrated by his nation’s erratic electrical grid.

“Electrical outages are a huge problem in Nigeria,” says Ezeozue, who is pursuing dual master’s degrees in MIT’s Technology and Policy Program and in electrical engineering and computer science. “The outages really interrupt everyday life.”

Nigeria’s supply of electricity is severely limited, resulting in rolling outages: Power is cut off every few hours and redirected to neighborhoods that were previously in the dark. While Nigerians know to expect these power cuts, they rarely know when the outages will happen, or how long they will last.
Since coming to MIT in 2011, Ezeozue — who received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nigeria in 2008, followed by three years of work at a software startup — has created an app, with his brother, that crowdsources information about Nigerian power outages. With the app, called NepaSituation, people living in Nigeria can report outages. This data, when merged into an algorithm developed by Ezeozue, can help Nigerians predict when power outages may strike their neighborhoods, and how long those outages might last.

“With over 100 million cell phones in Nigeria, we knew it was an important resource we could tap into,” Ezeozue says. “It took a while to come up with this algorithm, because the outages are pretty randomized, and the app is only as good as the number of people who enter outage data.”

But Ezeozue has delved into more than just tracking the problem: He is also working to address Nigeria’s chronic energy shortage.

“I started a company that is working to provide solar electricity to businesses and families at zero upfront cost,” Ezeozue says. The company, SolarKobo, was recently funded by a seed grant from MIT’s Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, where Ezeozue is a fellow.

“Nigeria has plenty of solar energy available … for as low as $25 a month, we can make this resource available to those who are interested,” Ezeozue adds.

When he is not working toward the betterment of his homeland, Ezeozue researches machine learning and prediction algorithms in the research group of Una-May O’Reilly, a principal research scientist in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

“We are trying to use medical data, such as blood-pressure levels, to improve patient care,” Ezeozue says. “We observe states that patients’ [blood] pressure goes through and eventually we can predict what state they will go to. These predictions help doctors determine what to expect next.”

Ezeozue is also passionate about education. Along with other Nigerian students at MIT, Ezeozue has started two initiatives to encourage students in Nigeria to pursue higher education outside the country.

In one of these initiatives, which is aimed at high school students, Ezeozue and Chika Ugboh, an MIT chemical engineering student, bought preparatory materials and paid for a few students in one Nigerian school to take the SAT. While this pilot, which was launched in 2011, was not an unequivocal success, Ezeozue says, “We learned that simply providing the materials isn’t enough — it has to be accompanied by mentoring and training.” He and Ugboh are now working to assess how these Nigerian students learn best.

The second of these initiatives is aimed at Nigerian undergraduates: Working through their own networks in Nigeria, Ezeozue and other MIT graduate students are encouraging Nigerian undergraduates who might be interested in postgraduate study abroad.

“The goal is to build a generation of highly educated Nigerians who will hopefully go back to build a better Nigeria,” Ezeozue says. “I plan to eventually go back to Nigeria.”

For now, after graduating from MIT in June, Ezeozue will remain in Cambridge, working as a software engineer for Google.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/student-profile-chidube-ezeozue-0418.html


Its honorary to note that Chidubem once was an active member of this forum, from 2010 and 2011. His moniker is cezeozue and he was active on the 'Preparing for the GRE' thread.

Kudos bro! Keep it up and by the way you've got a lovely smile

nice nice...i think u shud keep eye on our educational sector,think of how well it can be improved not advicing 9gerians go out to study always...though our government is to blame for not fixing the problem of education.

This is the best news on Nairaland. I hope American can see us now for what we are and what we can achieve if given little opportunities.I am so happy. I need to buy this dude a bottle of something.

More grease to ur elbow

Stories dat make me proud as a nigerian. Can we pls stick to more stories like dis abt nigeria on NL? Pls. I don taya to hear d opposite walahi!

Nice
Wait for my own invention. IJN

Wow

Hail Varsity of Nigeria,My Alma-Matter.

Very Good ....some good and inspiring news

I wish more opportunities for ALL disadvantaged Nigerians all over the country.
If he didn't have access to this opportunity, he could have been working for a bank now, chasing "targets"

Good news but then it happened in USA.

Here on nairaland alone, we have people who can do more than that if given the opportunities where Light is always on, internet always fast and free in some places. Clean environment, good labs etc...
We have people like dhtml, seun osewa, dual core, sam milla and many more people who are outstanding in whatever they do even while here in this hellhole called Nigeria.

Like i said ealier, congrats to him but i know when to over praise something.

I can only say that LIONS and LIONESSES are flying the flag and making us proud. Sorry for those who are quick to say'they are living in past glory, nye nye nye!' They get left behind! Good to know my alma matta is still repping and to the diasporans who think nothing good can come out of our educational system, eat a big phat som'in u know. Despite all odds, the school system still provides forage for those willing to use them. Just the societal system that darkens the youth's prospects.

Well done,bros.
Handsome bobo .

kudos to the guy for making us proud

From all indication one has to leave this country in order to fulfil his/her dreams. A lot of nigerians do wonders once they step out

bigfrancis21: Its honorary to note that Chidubem once was an active member of this forum, from 2010 and 2011. His moniker is cezeozue and he was active on the 'Preparing for the GRE' thread.

It is really inspiring to read his story. For those that are not familiar with him, I'll quickly go on to summarise his story for you.
1) He attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka where he read Electrical Engineering (my same course and school). I knew him back then in school - I was in my first year then in 2008 and he was in his final year.
2) He graduated that same year with a 4.83 CGPA. He then took the GRE exam, DICED it like some easy piece of cake and scored 800 in Quantitative, 730 in Verbal (170Q & 168V - perfect scores!).
3) In 2009 he initially applied to MIT, Cambridge and Oxford and got rejections from all 3 three universities. However, he remained undaunted. The following year he applied to 8 universities this time: MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Caltech, UPenn, Penn State, Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison and Columbia (with mixes of M.Sc and Phd). Not only that he applied to universities but he applied to the best US engineering universities.
4) Then the rejections started coming in again despite his pristine profile - 6 of the universities all rejected him for admission. Stanford accepted him for admission but offered him Masters instead of the PhD he applied for and, with no funding. He seriously needed admission + funding and intently looked on to it. MIT was his only hope left. And as God would have it, MIT, of all schools, gave him admission plus the much sought-after funding he all along wanted! His joys knew no bounds. At this point he wrote to Stanford rejecting their offer and afterwards he travelled out in 2011 to study.

Very inspiring story indeed.

It is also worthy to note that many years before now, another EE graduate from UNN broke records when he got accepted into the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (The 3rd best US ECE school) to pursue his masters + funding. Before him no other Nigerian had been accepted into the ECE department of UIUC and few years after him one other Nigerian from another university followed suit. Nigerians making Nigeria proud.

EE boys and girls too,are always interesting! Glad I'm a lioness.

Impressive ...

Our Leaders wont see this guys and develop them...instead they wld want to pay huge to bring zuckerberg and bill gate to Naija

that's great