Debo Onifade

Debo Onifade (born Adebowale Onifade, Nov 11, 1981) is an engineer, entrepreneur, author, soccer coach, policy enthusiast and political historian. He is best known as the author of “Liberating Nigeria: A Guide to Winning Elections and Reviving Our Country”, and founder of Delon Apps, United States.
Debo Onifade is a Senior IEEE Member (SMIEEE), Member Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE), Registered Electrical Engineer - The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO).
== Education ==
Debo Onifade completed elementary education from Ogun State Poly Staff School, Abeokuta, Nigeria in 1993. At Ijemo Titun High School, Debo was Editor-in-chief of the Career Press Club, and the Social Prefect. He represented the school and won several essays, quizzes, and debate competitions. Debo Onifade left high school in 1998 and graduated with BSc Electrical & Electronics Engineering (2.1) at the University of Ibadan (UI) in 2005. He was the Student Branch Chair of IEEEhttps://ethw.org/w/images/9/93/Timar06.pdf for two years and was a member of the committee that helped to actualize the IEEE-HP Telecenter Donation and Setup at UI. He represented the UI Student Branch at the IEEE Region 8 Student Branch Congress held at Passau, Germany in 2004http://ieee.tpu.ru/photo/2004/session.jpg and later functioned as the Student Branch Mentor for a few years after graduation. He was also an editor and writer for his departmental press at UI. Onifade graduated with an MS in Engineering Management from Tufts University in 2007. He holds a certificate in Sustainable Energy Conversion and Storage from Stanford University (2011) and a certification in Greater China Today: The People's Republic, Taiwan, and Hong Kong from an Harvard affiliated program in 2016.
== Career ==
Debo Onifade was an IT Intern at Microbyte, Lagos (2003) and CWG Plc Nigeria (2003 - 2004), Electrical Engineer at Production Point Ltd Nigeria (2005), and an ATM Engineer/Project Manager at ATM Consortium (ATMC) Nigeria (2005 - 2007). In 2007, he founded his first company, e-Peak Systems Limited (a power solutions company) at the age of twenty five and the company continues to provide technology services across Nigeria to date. In the United States, he worked briefly at The Gordon Institute, Tufts University Massachusetts, and later at Greatland Home Health Services Illinois, Camp Systems International New Hampshire, Hasbro Rhode Island, and Iron Mountain Massachusetts. He co-founded Delon Apps and Delon Health in 2018, and currently works as a Part-Time Soccer Academy Coach with the Kraft Group (owners of New England Revolution and six-time Super Bowl Champions - New England Patriots).
He has business experience across the United Kingdom, South Korea, China, Italy, Netherlands, India, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and the United States.
== Awards and recognition ==
* In 2018, Debo Onifade was honored with the IEEE Senior Member grade.
* In 2015, Debo won a silver medal as soccer coach of Malden U-14 Boys team at the Massachusetts commissioner's cup tournament.
* In 2006, the high school alma mater named their computer room after him.
* In 2005, Debo won a silver medal as soccer coach of the mechanical engineering department, University of Ibadan.
* In 2004, Debo was selected as Co-winner at the IEEE history paper contest.
* In 2003, Debo achieved his first soccer coaching award of the gold medal as coach of the electrical engineering department at the University of Ibadan.
* In 1999, Debo won the Professor Femi Osofisan Rotary Club Essay Prize at the University of Ibadan.
* In 1998, Debo won a plaque of honor by the National Orientation Commission in 1998 for winning the 1997 nation-wide All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) essay competition.
== Personal Life ==
Debo is married to Tobiloba and lives in Greater Boston, the United States. The couple has two children. Debo’s father (Late Dr. Adewale Onifade) attended the Bowling Green State University (United States) and the University of Nigeria (Nsukka) and worked as a professor in Nigeria. His mother (Mrs. Bolaji Onifade) is a retired banker, church leader and businesswoman. Debo has two sisters - Adebola Popoola (pharmacist in the UK) and Adesola Okanlawon (Certified Public Accountant in Australia). Debo Onifade Is fluent in English and Yoruba and has a basic knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin).
== Books ==
In December 2019, Delon LLC published a Nigerian political book "Liberating Nigeria: A Guide to Winning Elections and Reviving our Country" penned by Debo, with a foreword by foremost African human rights lawyer, former president of the West African Bar Association and senior advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana. The book attracted major attention on major national TV and newspapers in Nigeria. The book ranked in Amazon best-seller (top 200) under the Political Freedom category. 
According to a CNN on-air contributor and US White House reporter, Tolu Olorunnipa, "Liberating Nigeria is an apt title for this tour-de-force, a no-holds-barred analytical probe of the ills that have long plagued Africa's most populous and most potential-gifted nation. Debo Onifade does a masterful job of dissecting many of the country's problems and showing how its political leadership could rise to address them. This book is useful for those at all levels of expertise and familiarity with Nigerian politics, from the neophyte to the seasoned political hand. Global in scope, comparing and contrasting Nigeria's political system to those in China, the United States, Pakistan, and elsewhere - revealing sharp differences, similarities, and areas for improvement and evolution.”
Tolu further said and I quote: “Liberating Nigeria is more than analysis – it is also about action. It is full of well-researched and well-described prescriptions for boosting Nigeria's young but stunted democratic systems, and promoting good governance. Readers of Liberating Nigeria, young and old, will be treated to a vision for what one of the world's fastest-growing nations could be if its political system better reflected the ingenuity and compassion of its people. Such a ‘people's government,’ as described by Onifade, would not only propel Nigeria to fulfilling its potential as Africa's most populous country. Solutions for longstanding problems in Nigeria's electricity, education, health care, security, business, and other sectors are methodically and thoroughly presented in this book. Nigeria's leaders - and everyday citizens - could benefit greatly from reading Liberating Nigeria.“
According to Femi Falana SAN, who was also a lawyer to world-renowned Afrobeat founder, late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, "In the main, the book is a wake-up call to the youths who have left the fate of the country in the soiled hands of corrupt and selfish politicians who have arrested the development of the country. Convinced that the youths are very passionate about transforming Nigeria, the author is critical of the lack of understanding of the rudiments of politics. He says that the involvement of the youths through social media is not sufficient to make any meaningful impact on the politics of the country. The author argues that it is incumbent on the people clamoring for the transformation of Nigeria from poverty to prosperity to submit themselves to a credible electoral process by actively participating in the election process with a more coordinated approach than ephemeral social media debates. Apart from elections, the book focuses a lot on major policy issues."
Falana also remarked as follows: "In spite of the total domination of the political process by reactionary politicians, the author curiously believes that rebellion or revolt will not work in Nigeria and that there are only two options - either to defeat the old politicians in elections or give up in despair. Since despair is not an option, the author wishes that the book will inspire Nigerians to urgent action. I believe that the book could not have been published at a more opportune time than now that the National Assembly is under tremendous pressure to amend the Electoral Act 2010 and other relevant provisions of the constitution in preparation for the 2023 general elections. In view of the foregoing, I have no hesitation in recommending the book to politicians - young and old, electoral bodies, political parties and other stakeholders in the politics of the country."
According to Debo Onifade, "we have complained about and analyzed our problems long enough. It is now time for young people and new-breed politicians to elevate the discussion from mere rhetoric, sensationalism, and fantasy to the apt understanding of smart politics and solutions. This book presents facts and history to explain election-winning strategies and policy priorities. Let’s not kid ourselves—most of our traditional politicians will remain corruptly oppressive, and rebellion or revolt will not succeed in Nigeria. So we only have two options: work hard to liberate ourselves from the oppressors by defeating them in elections or give up in despair. If we choose liberation, it will take us several years, but we can gradually start by unifying our efforts and learning the required political skills. This book will be enlightening to non-Nigerians, but I hope it will inspire Nigerians to urgent action."
Debo also published two small books in 1998 and 2002.
== Publications ==
Debo Onifade has written several articles and essays related to politics, policies and technology. Most of his writings have been focused on discussing solutions to Nigeria’s problems and motivating young people to get involved in the process of liberating the country. Here are some of his publications.
# COVID-19: Nigeria must prioritize homegrown strategies 2020: MarketWatch, The Nation Newspaper, Liberating Nigeria
# Revolution in Nigeria: Let’s face reality 2020: Liberating Nigeria, Opera News, and Pulse.ng
# Covid-19: It’s time to discuss universal free healthcare for all Nigerians 2020: Vanguard Newspaper, Liberating Nigeria
# Electoral reform: INEC should lobby Pastor Adeboye, Sultan of Sokoto 2020: Vanguard Newspaper, Liberating Nigeria
# Between Ogun State and State of New Jersey 2013: Punch Newspaper, Sahara Reporters and The Herald; 2020: Liberating Nigeria
# Enough of Sensationalism—let’s discuss facts, jobs in Nigeria and Solutions 2018: www.delon.ng
# Nigeria’s New Auto Policy: Cotonou Will Be The Greatest Beneficiary 2014: Sahara Reporters; 2020: Liberating Nigeria
# Job Data is not a privilege 2013: Punch Newspaper, Sahara Reporters, Liberating Nigeria
# How can we create jobs 2012: Sahara Reporters
# Now that the strike is over 2012: Sahara Reporters
# Oil Subsidy Removal: Please lead us by example 2011: Sahara Reporters 2020: Liberating Nigeria
# Power Supply: We need the facts 2011: Punch Newspaper, The Guardian and Sahara Reporters
# What will our new president do about gas glaring?” 2011: Sahara Reporters
# Solar Energy for Rural Nigeria 2005: Paper submitted for the IEEE Region 8 2004 Annual Paper Contest
# The Future of Electrotechnology in Nigeria 2005: Ijemo Titun High School Journal, also a Presentation at an IEEE – University of Ibadan Student Branch program
# History of the Computer 2004: Paper submitted to the IEEE History Committee (USA) and adjudged a winning essay in Region 8 (comprising Europe, Africa and Middle East) and one of the best 9 essays in the worldwide contest). Presented during the IEEE 2004 Conference of History of Electronics held at Bletchley Park, UK.
# The Computer for Word Processing and Internet 2002: KAPPCO, Abeokuta, Nigeria
# The Responsibility of the individual citizen in a democratic Nigeria 1999: Winning essay in the 1999 Prof Femi Osofisan essay competition
# The Computer as a Word Processor 1998: KAPPCO, Abeokuta, Nigeria
# Nigerian Politics: The Conspiracy of the Elites, The Nation Newspaper
== Features ==
# "Nigerian Politics: Can first-time voters influence next elections?". The Nation
# Top Nigeria Politics Forum: Liberating Nigeria (2020) Vanguard Newspaper Nigeria
# Onifade new book discusses Nigeria's liberation (2020) Vanguard Newspaper Nigeria
# Onifade's new book calls on youth to engage in Politics for New Nigeria (2019) Tribune Newspaper Nigeria (Nigeria's  Oldest Surviving Private Newspaper)
# Book on Nigerian Politics calls on young Nigerians to unite to liberate the country (2020)  Vents Global Magazine
# Does Debo Onifade hold the key to liberating Nigeria? (2020) Syncityng.com – Twitter hangout zone for African Literature 
# Patch Newspaper, Malden, Massachusetts (2015)
# IEEE Paper Publication (2004)
# IEEE History Centre
# IEEE Region 8 News (November 2003)
# The Guardian NewsPaper Nigeria (October 22, 2008)
# IEEE University of Ibadan
# IEEE Region 8 News (Dec 2010)
== Activities ==
Debo took part as the University of Ibadan Student Team Lead in the 2004 UNESCO/DaimlerChrysler Mondialogo program contest, in collaboration with other students from the University of Ibadan and Pennsylvania State University, United States. Their paper was titled “Solar Energy for Rural Nigeria.”
He presented his paper, “History of the Computer” at the Conference of History of Electronics (2004) held at the historic Bletchley Park, the United Kingdom in June 2004
Debo has been a guest speaker at several programs, and he continues to mentor hundreds of younger people about practical ways to achieve their goals in life. He is a devout Christian.
Debo has regularly featured as a soccer pundit on Ogun State Television since 1998 and briefly at the Revelation TV, London between 2006 and 2007. He has coached soccer in Nigeria and currently coaches boys and girls in the United States, with the Kraft Group (owners of New England Revolution and six-time Super Bowl Champions - New England Patriots).
In 2020, Debo founded a socio-political movement in Nigeria “to Liberating Nigeria Knowledge Initiative,” which came as a result of his book publication "Liberating Nigeria: A Guide to Winning Elections and Reviving our country". The movement is focused on filling the knowledge gap in Nigeria’s political space and its vision is to enlighten, organize and influence twenty million first-time voters by 2027 in Nigeria.
== Licenses and certifications ==
* Professional Scrum Master from Scrum.org issued in 2016
* Professional Scrum Product Owner from Scrum.org issued in Aug 2016 
* Certified Registered Engineer from Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria issued on 2011
* Diebold Certified Opteva Hardware Technical Instructor from Diebold issued in 2007
* CCNA from Cisco issued in 2004
* MCP from Microsoft issued in 2003
* A+ from CompTIA issued in 2002
== In the media ==
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== References ==
== External links ==
* Official website
* Debo Onifade on Facebook
* Debo Onifade on Instagram
* Debo Onifade on Twitter
* Debo Onifade on Linkedin
Category:Nigerian engineers
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Category:Politics of Nigeria
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Category:1981 births