Motivation Essay_seconddraft.docx

WHY I WANT TO PURSUE A POSTGRADUATE COURSE IN THE SCIENCE FIELD Since my early days, I’ve always heard stories; stories that spoke of how great Nigeria was in the early 70s and 80s, stories that sounded too good to be true in my ears. And I wonder “where did we get it wrong?”. It didn’t take long for me to discover the truth; that crude oil was the sole mainstay of the country and consequently, Nigeria became a consumer state, where a lot of internally generated revenue was spent on imports, and the export sector quickly atrophied. Economic and aesthetic landmarks such as the groundnut pyramids of the north disappeared over time. Nigeria’s overdependence on crude oil indeed affected every other sector of the country. For a long time; while our oil balloon was yet afloat, Agriculture, which had been the major sustenance of much of the country’s population had been left in oblivion. An industrial visitation to a farm in my state, where I saw how the farming processes could be made much more efficient through the involvement of automation, and thereby prevent overworking of the staff. Doing this would undoubtedly increase overall product yield and contribute tangibly to the growth of the economy through agriculture, with widespread adoption. I, as a fresh graduate of Mechanical Engineering, trained to look for the solutions to varying problems, have seen the prospect in agriculture to revitalize the economy and how engineering can serve as the panacea to the problems faced by farmers, both learned and unlearned; problems such as the storage of post-harvest perishable crops, fish farming, animal husbandry, cattle rustling, poultry etc. and lack of automation in the agricultural sector, as peasant tools are still used for farming in most areas than the segregated mechanized farming incentives provided by the government. Providing solutions to most of these agricultural problems has been something that I have always ruminated on in times past and I am convinced that getting a Master’s degree in my choice of interest which is Mechatronics Engineering with a focus on automation would be the best decision to take since it is said that you can’t solve a problem on the level in which you meet with it. Therefore, in solving this malady facing the industrialization of agriculture in Nigeria, it is paramount that I venture further in my quest for knowledge towards solving the problems The undergraduate curriculum in Mechanical Engineering at University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria, has introduced me to a wide variety of engineering courses. Various courses like Engineering mechanics; statics and dynamics, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Numerical Methods in Engineering, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Heat transfer, Automatic control, just to mention but a few as entrenched in my transcript attached with this application, has provided me with a strong footing in the theoretical and even practical concepts of Mechanical Engineering. While offering both depth and breadth across this field, these courses put into perspective the importance and relevance of Mechanical Engineering and the application of its fundamentals to the problems faced by the real world. In conclusion, I would like to say that I am eager to gain new experiences, improve my skills and broaden my understanding of Mechatronics Engineering, and I am persuaded that undertaking an M.Sc. program in Mechatronics Engineering would contribute to my development as a specialist of international quality in solving the pressing agricultural problems in the best possible way.

MY LONG TERM PERSONAL OBJECTIVES Having been aware of the challenges facing agricultural farming, and convinced that some solutions to them are automation based. I will enroll for a master’s program in mechatronics and robotics where I will specialize in automation. I will ensure that relevant courses are taken during the course work year to better comprehend the depths of automation. I will also engage in research work with an expert in the field of automation. I intend using the knowledge garnered to solve agricultural related automation problems. I will subsequently pursue a PhD in automation to better hone my research into automation tending my research towards agricultural related problems around the globe which will be put to use as a result of the publications made to tackle the problems. During my post-doctoral or fellowship year, I will engage in solving copious problems by research, implementation and findings from the research properly incorporated into the body of knowledge by various publications. I plan to solve the following problems after my fellowship year:  

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Crops: I will solve the problems related to planting of crops by proper analysis of the nutrient contents of the soil, Poultry: low yield can be solved with the use of robotics and sensors, for example, sensors are used to measure the methane level of the excreta and if this value is above a threshold the robot will clean the excreta and there will be a better environment for the layers to thrive in. Fish Farming: I will solve efficiency or productivity problem of fish farming by controlling some key parameters in the pond water (artificial or natural); temperature, PH level, dissolved oxygen etc. careful monitoring of these parameters will translate into a much better harvest of the fishes. Cattle Rearing: I plan on installing RFID (radio frequency identifier) under the hides of the cattle for better monitoring with a satellite. These tools will solve the issues of cattle rustling. I will ensure the expertise needed to achieve all of these is learnt, mastered, and implemented.

Finally, upon successful completion of my Doctorate degree program, I will return to my home country to contribute to the ailing agricultural sector through research and by proffering solutions to agricultural problems. The knowledge and skills acquired during my PhD program will be used in seeking means of solving automation and industrialization on a commercial basis of agricultural produce in my home country. In the long run, I plan to collaborate with both governmental and non-governmental organizations to formulate policies that will enhance the adoption of automation of these technologies and to train enthusiastic farmers both learned or unlearned the use of these technologies. I plan to take a career in the academia where I can use my knowledge to train future mechanical or mechatronics engineers.