Born on 8th August, 1948. Prof. Usman Otaru Aliyu obtained a First Class B.Eng degree at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1972.  Prof. Aliyu received Prize for the Best Final Year Electrical Engineering Student in Power and Machines 1971/72 Academic year and African-American Institute Study Fellowship Award to pursue M.Sc/Ph.D programme in USA, 1973-1977. He obtained MSEE degree of the Lehigh University, Bethlehem Pennsylvania, USA in 1975 and Ph.D. of the Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA in 1978.

Between 1973 and 1974, he worked on metal crack detection using microwave techniques at the Lehigh University, School of Electrical Engineering, in Bethlehem-Pennsylvania USA. In 1975-1977, he served as Teaching Assistant/AFGRAD Fellow, conducted research in electrical power analysis and control; Mathematical modeling, digital, analog & hybrid computer simulation at the Purdue University, School of Electrical Engineering, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.  

He joined the academic teaching staff of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1978 as Assistant Lecturer and was promoted Senior Lecturer in 1982. Between 1986 and 1989, he served as Duty Dean and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in the University. He has also served as Member of two National Boards in Nigeria.

Since 1990 to date, Prof. Aliyu has been at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi as Professor of Electrical Engineering. Between 1992-1996, he worked in the Electrical Engineering Department, University of Bahrain as Associate Professor.

Prof. Aliyu has researched successfully into various problems of industry and proffered solutions to them. His areas of contributions were in: Computer Control & Modelling of Interconnected Power System; Electric Power System – Planning, Optimization & Security Analysis; Renewable Energy Sources-Planning & Utilization; Voltage Collapse Phenomenon, Optimum Var Sitting & Control and Application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to power system. He has published thirty-seven publications and four papers currently under review for publication.

He is a registered Engineer with the Council of Engineering Regulation of Nigeria (COREN), Member, IEEE, and Member, Nigerian Society of Engineers.

SPECIALIZATIONS

• Control Engineering and Intelligent Systems