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Professor
Ephraim Efiong Okon is currently a Professor of
Engineering Science in AKUTECH, as well as the Coordinating Consultant to
the University on the development of the School/Graduate School of
Engineering Science. He holds the University of London degrees of B. Sc
(Electrical Engineering) with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and
Ph. D. (Electrical Engineering) obtained, respectively from the
University College, Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1962, as a University College
Scholar, and Kings College, London, in 1966, as a University Postgraduate
Scholar. He also graduated with the degree of B. Sc. (Special)
(Mathematics), London, with First Class Honours, in 1969, as an External
Student.
2. Professor Okon’s University
teaching and research career commenced in September 1970 when, on
invitation, he was appointed Lecturer I in Engineering Analysis, as the
foundation and sole member of staff of the then Sub-Department of
Engineering Analysis, in the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Promoted
Senior Lecturer in 1976 in the Engineering Analysis Unit, he became
Professor of Engineering Analysis, with specialization in Electromagnetic
Engineering, in 1982. After serving as Acting Head of the Unit for
various periods between 1976 and 1980, he held the position of Head of
the Unit from 1985 to 1988.
3. His teaching and research efforts in
the University of Lagos, where he served from 1970 to 1999, were
concentrated on the development and application of analytical and
computational techniques for the solution of Engineering problems. Areas
within his specialty, in which he has published extensively, include:
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Electromagnetic Engineering
Modeling and Analysis
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Engineering Function Spaces
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Operator Representation
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Technology Business Incubation and
Development Processes in Engineering Production Systems
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Technology Management and Strategic
Planning for Science-led Development.
4. Professor Okon is a former Chairman of
the Commonwealth Science Council, a body which was established to
facilitate the development and management of technological change in the
Commonwealth. A professional Electrical/Electronic Engineer registered
by COREN (Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria) as No.
R1096, the beginnings of Professor Okon’s contributions to the
development of the Engineering profession can be traced to the period
1964 – 1966, when he was the Technical Secretary of the Nigerian Society
of Engineers (U.K. Branch). He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of
Engineers (FNSE), Life Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS),
a Foundation and Life Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (FA
Eng) and a member of the Councils of both Academies. He is also a member
of the Nigerian National Committee on the Energy Masterplan and the
Chairman of its Manpower Development Sub-Committee.
5. Professor Okon served continuously as
the Director-General/Deputy Minister and later, Permanent Secretary of
the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology from 1988 – 1998, and as
the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry from 1998,
till his retirement from the Civil Service in 1999. In these capacities,
he was responsible for key aspects of the formulation, execution and
monitoring of national policies on science, technology and industrial
development.
6. As a Professional Engineer and
Research/Management Consultant, he commenced his industrial R and D
career as Electrical Engineer/Senior Electrical Engineer with Standard
Telephones and Cables Ltd. (a subsidiary of ITT) in London, from 1966 –
1970. During this period, he pioneered the development and application
of analytical and computational techniques for the synthesis of antenna
arrays for Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) equipment for Categories I,
II, and III (i.e. “blind landing”) operations of aircraft. A key aspect
of his responsibilities involved the design, testing and commissioning of
dipole arrays, at a development cost of about £Stg500,000.00.
Within the project, an array suitable for category III was valued at
£Stg2,500,000.00 in 1967.
7. In the Federal Ministry of Science and
Technology, Professor Okon was a key negotiator and operational
supervisor for the World Bank Project on the National Agricultural
Research system (NARP). The project was designed to focus on the
development of the entire agricultural research system in Nigeria,
involving the strengthening of the capacity of the national agricultural
research institutes, at a cost of over US$100 million, of
which the World Bank support component was US$78 million.
8. Among the on-going
research/management consultancy projects of strong national relevance in
which he has a leading role are:
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The National Productivity Centre project
on “Increasing the Intellectual Productivity of Secondary School
Students in Nigeria”, the preliminary phase of which is estimated to
cost N15 million.
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A project with the Federal Ministry of
Science and Technology on “Technology Incubation and the
Commercialization of Research, Development and Innovations/Inventions”,
at a projected cost of about N20 million for the first phase.
9. Prof. Okon was the Chairman of the
Committee for the Establishment of AKUTECH which, during the period
2000 – 2001 formulated its philosophy, vision and mission, as well as the
guidelines for the modus operandi of the institution as a technological R
and D–driven and industry-oriented University. He was also a member of
the (successor) Implementation Committee for the University which
developed the strategies for the take-off of the University and the
realization of its objectives.
10. In AKUTECH, apart from his teaching
responsibilities with regard to Engineering Analysis, Computational
Electromagnetics and related fields, as well as his research and
consultancy interests, Professor Okon has the responsibility for ensuring
the effective take-off of the School/Graduate School of Engineering
Science. This involves the development of the mandate, functions and
structure of these Academic Units, curriculum development and the
establishment of affiliate Research Institutes and related R and D
facilities.
11. Professor Okon is a recipient of many
traditional, national and international titles and awards. These include
the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)
of Nigeria, conferred in October, 2000, selection in 2001 as One
of the 2000 outstanding Scholars of the 21st Century, by
the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England, and
Companion of the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM),
London, in 2002.
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