Monday Onoja, Gift Adene, and Evaristus Nwoke emerged top winners at the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) 2025 Doctoral Consortium held on August 13, 2025, during the NCS 19th National Conference in Kano State.
The prestigious consortium, which brought together the nation’s brightest doctoral minds in ICT, was a major highlight of this year’s conference themed: “Intelligent, Secure and Sustainable Innovations for a Connected World #ConNovate2025.”
The conference was hosted by the NCS National President, Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, and the Chairman Conferences Committee, Prof. Saidat Adebukola Onashoga.
The NCS National President, Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, praised the finalists for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of ICT research in Nigeria. The event was generously sponsored by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Delta, Agbor, Prof. Stella C. Chiemeke, and convened by Dr. Vivian Nwaocha, who described the submissions as “cutting-edge and transformative.”
First place was clinched by Monday Onoja, a doctoral researcher from the Department of Applied Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Bratislava, Slovakia. Onoja wowed the panel with his thesis titled: “Explainable Malware Detection through Ontology Integration.” His research aims to bridge the gap between complex malware detection techniques and human interpretability using semantic technologies.
Second place went to Gift Adene, a PhD candidate at the Department of Computer Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, and a lecturer at the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, for his work titled: “Alzheimer’s Neurological Disease Prediction Model Using Hybridized Machine Learning Techniques.” His research applies advanced machine learning to early diagnosis and prediction of Alzheimer’s disease, pushing the boundaries of health tech in Nigeria.
Evaristus Nwoke, P.hD scholar at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State and a staff of University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo Imo State secured third place with his innovative thesis: “Enhancing Cloud Task Scheduling Efficiency with Deep Learning-Driven Hybrid Metaheuristic Optimization Techniques.” His work addresses efficiency challenges in cloud computing infrastructure using cutting-edge AI-driven algorithms.
Other outstanding participants in the top five included Oghenevbbaire Efevberha-Ogodo from the University of Benin and Abubakar Aliyu of Umaru Musa Yaradua University, Katsina. Both scholars presented impressive research that underscored the depth of innovation across Nigerian universities.
The NCS Doctoral Consortium continues to serve as a strategic platform for promoting indigenous research and mentoring early career researchers in Nigeria’s growing digital economy. With growing support from academia and industry, the consortium is becoming a key driver of Nigeria’s tech-enabled future.
The 2025 edition not only spotlighted individual brilliance but reinforced the importance of collaborative innovation in building a secure and intelligent digital society.