AI & Robotics Specialist · Researcher · Engineer · Educator
I build intelligent systems that work outside the lab — and I believe meaningful technological innovation can be conceived, developed, and deployed from Africa.
Ph.D. Candidate · FUTA
I am Timileyin Okoya (Timileyin Olusegun Okoya), professionally known as Timi Okoya — an AI and Robotics specialist, researcher, engineer, educator, and technology professional with a background in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Artificial Intelligence & Robotics.
My work sits at the intersection of intelligent systems, robotics, machine learning, IoT, and emerging technologies. I am particularly interested in how intelligent and decentralised systems can be designed to solve complex problems in the real world — from autonomous robotic systems and optimised task scheduling to environmental monitoring and resource-constrained computing.
I began my academic journey in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, before pursuing an M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. My international experience has taken me across research and technology environments in Europe and Africa, including work involving robotics, human-robot interaction, computer vision, underwater imaging, and intelligent systems.
I have also had the opportunity to represent Nigeria internationally in technology innovation, including participation in the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals, and to collaborate with researchers and institutions across different countries. These experiences shaped my belief that meaningful technological innovation does not have to originate from Silicon Valley or Europe — it can be conceived, developed, and deployed from Africa.
I currently teach and conduct research in Computer Science while pursuing a PhD in Computer Engineering at FUTA, where my research focuses on decentralised reinforcement learning for task scheduling in multi-agent robotic systems.
Beyond the classroom and laboratory, I am interested in the broader questions surrounding technology: how systems scale, how emerging technologies affect society, how technical decisions shape institutions, and how African professionals can participate meaningfully in the global technology ecosystem.
Technical Skills:
Build useful things, understand the systems behind them, and keep learning.
From Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Nigeria, to Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Italy, to Computer Engineering research back home.
The areas I research, build in, and teach — and the questions I keep returning to.
Research and engineering environments across Europe and Africa, and the collaborations that came out of them.
Long-standing membership of the world's largest technical professional organisation for engineering and technology.
Projects, research and the people I build with.
Whether it's a research collaboration, a robotics or intelligent-systems project, or a speaking and teaching opportunity — I'd like to hear about it.