FOR developing a special kind of smart fibre, composite material that will advance research in security, especially in helmet technology, a United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Dr. Udo Igwe was the cynosure of all eyes at a national competition held recently in the United Kingdom (UK). It was organized by the Institute of Minerals, Material and Mining's (IOM3); Defence Safety and Security Committee, in association with the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network (Materials KTN) with the aim of bringing together researchers from across the country to find new designs for the next generation of police and combat helmets. Now a rallying point for his contemporaries, Igwe, who is in his mid-30s, speaks on how it all began and other sundry issues.You recently won an award in the United Kingdom for developing a special kind of smart fibre, reinforced, composite material that will help advance research in security especially in helmet technology. What are your feelings like'My feelings cannot in any way be different from that felt by many Nigerians doing well in different countries and making Nigeria proud. However, I feel a sense of fulfillment professionally in the area of security, which is the major problem in the west and in the third world. In spite of my background, it gives me feelings of elation; professionally, I feel elevated because beyond the challenges of the present time, one has been able to demonstrate that one has solutions to major problems that are critical to the masses out there.I represented Bolton University's IMRI programme and competed with some of UK's most renowned academic institutions in the field, such as the UK Defence Academy, Liverpool University's School of Engineering and Loughborough University's Sport Technology Institute. These were joined by some of the world's biggest defence organisations, including BAE Systems, The Ministry of Defence and The Swedish Defence Research Agency.While presenting the award, the panel that organized it said I was rewarded for my contribution to safety and defence, especially in the designing of a new combat protective helmet based on electro-rheological fluid and fibre-reinforced composites, an innovation in the industry. The composite material, according to the award panel, can absorb impact energy through the use of an electro rheological fluid material capable of turning from a liquid state to a solid mass in milliseconds and vice versa.The panel explained that the composite material could absorb and dissipate massive amounts of energy on impact, more consistently and quickly than materials currently used. This makes it ideal for protective equipment such as safety helmets and body armour.A composite material is an engineered or natural material that contains at least two compounds that have significantly different physical and chemical properties. They have many functions and are used in everything from road works to more advanced applications such as the space programme.How did you come about the innovation'I was driven by one thing really, I have always wanted to be distinguished and stay above my contemporaries. This, coupled with discipline and determination, being keen on contributing my quota to the development of my country through my career, are chief among the factors that guided my thoughts in bringing about the innovation.However, composite, which is actually the area I focused my research on, has been structurally designed as material for different systems: aviation, automobiles like Formula 1 cars or crash car helmet. This is something you can work up to in the area of risk and application of accidental impact. So my mind is very strong in the area of security. More so, when you consider the part of the world I come from, I think it is an immense case I should be able to look at. This also explains why I was driven to make impact in the area of security and find solution to our problem.I must however say that no individual should be pushing such innovation alone, it is what a whole body has to invest in. In this case, it should be government because it is capital intensive. But I still believe that for us to grow in this area, we have one thing to look at, which is the standard of measuring quality in line with the International Standard Organization (ISO). When this is followed strictly, you would not have to develop an armored vehicle that will fail you on the road or develop a kind of fire-proof house that will fail you whenever there is fire disaster.While I was in Nigeria, I was struggling like any other youth to find a way out and find solutions to problems. But when I stepped out, it dawned on me that I was leaving the shores of my country where my comfort was to live in an uncomfortable zone. I realized that I needed to be focused and determined to return to my country a success.The challenges'My challenges only made me stronger but I had a foundation before I left Nigeria. I had an opportunity of studying at Federal Government College, Umuahia where there is a standard of studying hard, as well as Federal Universities of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) that helped to put my feet down to study academically. On getting to UK, studying wasn't my problem again; I already have an attitude of studying.In your view, what do you think can be done to tackle the problem of insecurity in the country'Our problems are in phases. First, many are taking the advantage of the system to find solution to personal problems. The people on the streets are unemployed and most youths are finding a way out of their challenges. As such, incidences of crime are on the increase. In this regards, security is threatened.To this end, it is important that both the government and people must find a lasting solution to these problems by creating job opportunities to reduce poverty.Upbringing'At the initial stage of my life, my father, late Captain Igwe Udo was a pilot with the Nigeria Airways. We were comfortable in those early years but it did not last for too long because of the issue arising from the Nigeria-Biafra war and the tensions of keeping his family in a safer place.As against my family wish of being a medical doctor, having had four medical doctors already, I settled for Polymer and Textile Engineering and completed my youth service in Nasarawa state.Going abroad was not tactical but strategic because I have designed the way I wanted to go. I wanted to go back to school and study abroad.Background'I am Dr Udo Igwe, a specialist in ballistic structure. I reside in the United Kingdom, and I am involved in major works with safety related companies to ensure safety in all aspects of life. Having started my career exploits in the area of materials, that is, textile material, I have lately moved on to composite development, researching more on safety-related structures.Since 2005 when I joined the University of Bolton, UK to obtain Masters Degree in Science (M.Sc) in Advanced Material Science, I researched on the synthesis of technical, medical and geo-textiles, which culminated in the design of fire/heat resistant materials and flame retardant composites.My imaginative spirit and quest for knowledge in improving safety in transportation, defence, and energy distribution became more evident as I pursued my Ph.D at the Institute for Materials Research and Innovation, University of Bolton. As a result, I have embarked on a research focused on lightweight composite structures for ballistics applications, including body armour and defence structures. In the next 10 years, I want to stand out as an authority in the area of security to secure people's life, property and assets.I am at the moment a consultant for companies and institutes involved in defence materials and systems for bullet proofs and anti-ballistics.
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