Adequate electricity supply in Nigeria remains a persistent challenge but hoping to address this is Nmeso Egwuekwe (MPhil in Energy Technologies) – a recipient of a Gates Cambridge Scholarship – who will focus on energy access for at-need communities in Nigeria and beyond, as part of her PhD, which begins in October.
Through my research endeavours, I aspire to contribute positively to the energy landscape, both in Nigeria and beyond. I am excited and thankful for the opportunity that this scholarship presents.
Nmeso Egwuekwe
We caught up with Nmeso to find out more about her research plans and motivations.
Access to reliable and affordable electricity has been a persistent challenge in the Nigerian energy landscape. In 2021, according to World Bank, around 40% of the population lacked access to electricity. Given this and its social-economic impact, my research goals generally lie in identifying and exploring cost-effective micro-interventions such as putting humans and their interactions with the built environment at the centre of the design process. This information can then be utilised to improve energy efficiency, providing sufficient energy supplies to serve populations with limited energy access.
My proposed PhD research aims to integrate human-centric design principles with energy management systems to minimise operational energy use in buildings. I intend to leverage my expertise to design efficient and affordable solutions that improve demand-side management in the built environment and address energy access challenges for at-need communities. Demand-side management refers to strategies or technologies aimed at optimising consumers’ energy consumption.
I am excited to engage in the innovative research environment at the Energy Efficient Cities initiative (EECi) this October. Through my research endeavours, I aspire to contribute positively to the energy landscape, both in Nigeria and beyond. It feels very validating that the Gates Cambridge Trust believes in me, and I am both excited and thankful for the opportunity that this scholarship presents to dive further into research I have already been working on as part of the MPhil in Energy Technologies.
Pursuing an MPhil in Energy Technologies has offered me the opportunity to understand, in-depth, the existing energy systems and evaluation tools in green economies. It has allowed me to further explore transferable lessons in energy transition applicable to developing countries like mine, Nigeria. I am fascinated by the potential role of demand-side research in tackling the energy trilemma (sustainability, security and access) in Nigeria, especially with regards to how end-use efficiency could significantly impact energy access. This involves looking at improving the efficiency of equipment and processes to reduce energy consumption without affecting the quality of the service provided.
The best part about Cambridge so far has been the opportunity to have conversations with others about the research problems they are tackling and the methods they are using to address these problems. The support available to students in the form of counselling and academic advising has also been a plus.
For those thinking about applying to Cambridge for any degree, my advice is: do not back down and send in that application. Start on time to prepare your application, know why you are applying, and be sure to send it in.
About the Gates Cambridge class of 2024
This year’s cohort comprises 75 new scholars, 69% of whom are doing PhDs and 31% MPhils, and will begin their studies in October. They represent 29 different nationalities and come from every corner of the world, including – for the first time – Libya and Nicaragua, and cover a wide span of disciplines and subjects.
The Gates Cambridge scholarship programme is the University of Cambridge’s leading international postgraduate scholarship programme.
The full list of Scholars who will be studying for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or a PhD in Engineering from October 2024 are:
- Elizabeth Appel (MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development)
- Nmesomachukwu Egwuekwe (PhD in Engineering)
- Ishan Kalburge (PhD in Engineering).