Dr. Chika Yinka-Banjo
University of Lagos
Spring 2019
Dr. Chika Yinka-Banjo is an Associate Professor and the current Head of the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). A Spring 2019 MIT-ETT Fellow, she is a pioneering force in African robotics, coordinating the university’s Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory (AIROL). She recently received the prestigious MIT-ETT Outstanding Performance in Teaching Award (2024), recognizing her excellence in translating MIT’s pedagogical methods to the Nigerian context. Her research interests are centered on Autonomous Multi-Robot Systems and Behavior-Based Robotics. She specializes in developing cooperative behavioral models for robots in hazardous environments, such as underground mines and disaster zones. Currently, she is leading high-impact research into the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for agricultural monitoring (“Sky-Farmers”) and the application of AI to solve climate change and healthcare challenges in Africa. Dr. Yinka-Banjo has secured numerous high-profile international grants, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship and funding from the IDRC for the EduAIHub. She was selected as one of the top 200 young researchers globally by the Heidelberg Laureate Forum. Her work bridges the gap between theoretical computer science and physical deployment, driving the adoption of “Hardware-in-the-Loop” research in Nigerian universities. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science (specializing in AI and Robotics) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Beyond academia, she is a passionate advocate for diversity in STEM, serving as a mentor for the TechWomen program and organizing free coding and robotics bootcamps for children and girls in Lagos to build the next generation of tech innovators..
