21-year-old Faisal Haruna Lawan knew almost from birth that he had a distinct purpose being born into this world and his parents thankfully wasted no time in strategically positioning their beloved genius-of-a-son to achieve his lofty ambitions.
From infant, Faisal took sustained interest in what most children his age run away from, numbers. His affinity for this became obvious as early as the entry kindergarten class where he was soon double-promoted to Nursery 2. Sensing this fast paced trajectory and likely future consequential trail especially because of his age, Faisal’s parents stopped further double-promotions no matter how impressive he showed his brilliance at the end of each term.
In a tell-it-all exclusive interview with NewsClick Nigeria on his spectacular academic journey, the Kano indigene detailed his career progress from Edidot Schools to Debiruss College and later Bridge House College where his Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award for achieving the highest mark in Nigeria in A-level Physics opened him to countless opportunities including at the University of Manchester.
“My journey has always been shaped by a deep-rooted love for mathematics and an insatiable curiosity to learn. It all began in Nursery school in Nigeria, where my early affinity for numbers quickly stood out. I was double-promoted to Nursery 2, though my parents wisely paused any further acceleration due to my age. From there, I completed my primary education at Edidot Schools, graduating as the best student at just nine years old. That early momentum set the tone for everything that followed.
“At Debiruss College and later Bridge House College, I continued to thrive—graduating as valedictorian at both institutions and earning the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award for achieving the highest mark in Nigeria in A-level Physics.
“That recognition unlocked the door to the University of Manchester, marking a pivotal step in my journey. Moving to the UK was both exciting and transformative. It was here that my theoretical passion for engineering found real-world expression. Beyond lectures and textbooks, I was building robots, representing fellow students, and completing an industrial placement at Altera (formerly Intel PSG), where I gained valuable insight into the engineering industry. That period remains one of the most rewarding chapters of my academic life,” Faisal explained.
However, Faisal ‘s discipline choice for his Bachelor’s degree was one of intense research and his characteristics norm of going for a more stretchy and demanding role. He never wanted to be boxed into a single career corner, therefore, the choice of a mechanical, civil or electrical engineering did not seat with him. After an extensive research, he found a sweet choice in Mechatronics Engineering, a multidisciplinary field that integrates mechanical, electronic, computer, and control engineering to design and develop intelligent systems, smart machines, and automated processes.
Despite being a relatively new field, Faisal went in shattering records, topping his class and winning numerous awards.
“I recently graduated with a BEng (Hons) in Mechatronic Engineering—an achievement I am deeply proud of. I was honoured to be named the top student in my course and across the entire Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. My third-year project—a novel approach to distributed formation control for wheeled mobile robots—was awarded the department’s Best Overall Project Prize. These milestones, along with the University’s Stellify Award and Outstanding Achievement Award for ranking in the top ten graduates in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, reflect a journey of sustained dedication. Earlier this year, I was also humbled to receive the Institute of Engineering and Technology’s Future Talent Award.
I got the overall best graduating student, the best 3rd year project and the Stellify awards.”
Faisal ‘s exceptional performance at his Bachelor’s programme paid off. In a rare case of rewarding excellence, he got a straight fully funded scholarship without the initial Master’s degree prerequisite.
“I studied Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Manchester. My dissertation project focused on developing a new consensus-based algorithm for controlling a group of robots to maintain a formation using torque information, which I hope to present at a conference soon. The PhD will be a continuation in this field, focusing on developing it for real-world implementation, investigating noise, faulty communication networks, time delay, and utilising tools such as reinforcement learning to address the mismatch between the mathematical model and the actual robot. For the scholarship, the PhD will still be in the Controls and Robotics section under the EEE department. It would last for 3.5 years.
“It’s a recent field of study that’s only about 10 years old. My supervisor and I have reviewed the literature, and my implementation appears to be a novel contribution that builds upon the foundational works in that field. That’s why we plan to present my third-year dissertation first at the conference. I can attach my dissertation so you can review it.”
Asked how he felt achieving the feat, Faisal said he felt great but would again deploy all arsenal at his academic disposal to achieve another milestone.
“I don’t see not having the prerequisite M.Sc for this P.hD programme as a big issue. Even before the commencement of the programme I have started reading the Master’s outline to ensure I don’t miss out on anything. Everything I might have missed in a regular M.Sc class, I will measure up for in my study and possibly gain more,” a determined Faisal to NewsClick Nigeria.
Without relaxing on his oars, Faisal has already set the ball in motion for the journey ahead already serving as a Research Assistant to one of his lecturers.
“That journey continues today in Manchester, where I currently serve as a Research Assistant under Dr Xiaoxiao Cheng, working on advanced control systems for robotic manipulators. This autumn, I will begin a fully funded PhD within the Controls and Robotics Research Group, under the supervision of Dr Joaquin Carrasco. My research will focus on safety, optimal control, and multi-agent systems—areas that perfectly align with my longstanding passion for control theory and intelligent systems,” he said.
Meanwhile, Faisal ‘s academic journey is not without a ‘little’ challenge. His only challenge however was being the youngest in all his classes. But he was quick to build his confidence and still come up top.
While specifically acknowledging God for the gift, Faisal does not take the deliberate efforts of his parents, particularly his mum at pushing him to the peak for granted.
“Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude—for the steadfast support of my family, and above all, for the mercy and grace of Allah, which have guided every step.”