Dr. Muhammad Buhari
Bayero University
Spring 2017
Dr. Muhammad Buhari is a distinguished Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Bayero University, Kano (BUK). He is a recognized expert in the field of advanced control engineering and instrumentation. His research is deeply focused on the theoretical development and practical application of robust non-linear control strategies. He has made significant contributions to the design of sliding mode controllers for highly unstable and complex systems, such as magnetic levitation systems and the optimization of continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) for industrial chemical processes. Dr. Muhammad Buhari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Bayero University Kano (BUK). A Spring 2017 MIT-ETT Fellow, he has established himself as a central figure in Nigeria’s engineering response to public health crises. His fellowship at MIT empowered him to bridge the gap between theoretical electrical engineering and urgent, practical problem-solving, a philosophy he now instills in his students at BUK. His core technical research focuses on Power Systems Reliability and the integration of Renewable Energy into developing grids. He specializes in using sequential Monte Carlo simulations to model the behavior of aging power infrastructure and optimize the placement of distributed energy resources. His work is critical for improving the stability of Nigeria’s national grid and ensuring consistent power supply in resource-constrained environments. Dr. Buhari gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic when he led the BUK Emergency Ventilator Team. Leveraging the open-source designs released by MIT, he coordinated a multidisciplinary group of engineers to design and build a low-cost, functional emergency ventilator using locally sourced materials. This initiative demonstrated the capacity of Nigerian universities to provide rapid, home-grown technological solutions to global challenges. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Manchester, UK. Beyond his research, Dr. Buhari is a passionate advocate for “problem-based learning” in engineering education. He actively mentors student teams in developing hardware solutions for the healthcare and agricultural sectors, ensuring that the next generation of engineers is equipped to build, not just design
