Story behind the research: Meet Bamgboye Taiwo!

Bamgboye, our new DocNet member shares his inspiring thoughts and background that have led him to conduct research in water energy and food nexus toward climate change resilience in Nigeria. For him, the support received from the academic community has made this journey a wonderful experience.

My name is Bamgboye Taiwo Temitope. I am a doctoral researcher at the “Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering” research unit at the University of Oulu, Finland. I have a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Ekiti State University, Nigeria, and a master's in environmental engineering from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. My research interests include climate change, urban water, energy, and food nexus planning; integrated water resource management; policy analysis in developing countries; and interactions with other SDGs to promote a more sustainable future and a balanced ecosystem.

I come from one of the most marginalized communities in my area. However, my desire to broaden my horizons and to acquire more knowledge in solving environmental challenges has motivated me to develop and upgrade my skills, as well as to pursue an advanced degree. I know that for my dreams to come true, I will need to gain more knowledge and research experience to achieve and meet sustainable development goals (SDGs).

This desire is what encouraged me to conduct my research in this field. Luckily, both my supervisor and colleagues have helped me to align all these interests to forge ahead. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience.

As part of my PhD studies, I am working on the urban water energy and food nexus toward climate change resilience, focusing on Nigeria as a case study. This research aims to synergize these three resources with the effects of climate change, and I believe that the outcome of this research will serve as a template for policy and urban planning development in other West African countries.

My lifestyle is harmonized with my research because I have been a lover of what nature has for humans. Hence, I always engage in activities to promote its protection. In addition, my previous work experience as a researcher at Makerere University -where I was working on the energy food nexus- still has a lot in me, and encourages me to enhance my research interest and to solidify my academic background.

I love playing table tennis and watching movies during my free time. I am inspired when I witness rewards for hard work and people progressing. I update myself by attending summer schools, webinars, conferences, research, and writing sessions. This has enabled me to meet and network with scholars from different walks of life.

Finally, I would strongly recommend a movie titled “Black November” on Netflix. The movie clearly shows part of our challenges in Nigeria.

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Thank you, Bamgboye, for sharing your experience and ambitious thoughts with our community. We are always inspired by those who promote research and environmental awareness.

Follow Bamgboye on Twitter and get involved with his job.

"Story behind the research" is a blog series dedicated to highlight and showcase UniPID DocNet members and their research.

What is next? If you are a PhD researcher and have not joined us yet, do not hesitate to register as a DocNet member here. UniPID will host a DocShop on 18 August 2023, where we are aiming to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, networking, and getting extra guidance for doctoral dissertations. More information will be available soon on our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), website, and mailing list.

Photo credits: Markus Spiske, 2019 on UnSplash.