Innovative Research Award
Francis Alexander Aleke-Onyibe — Edo State University Iyamho, Nigeria.
Francis Alexander Aleke-Onyibe is a computer science researcher at Edo State University Iyamho, Nigeria, whose work addresses cybersecurity, cybercrime resilience, and secure database design. His publications examine individual protective behaviours against social media crime and tamper-evident architectures for institutional data systems [1]. His applied studies have appeared in peer-reviewed journals and form the evidentiary basis for recognition under the Innovative Research Award category [2].
Abstract
This article documents the research profile of Francis Alexander Aleke-Onyibe of Edo State University Iyamho, Nigeria, and evaluates the suitability of his work for the Innovative Research Award under the Popular Engineer Awards. The evidence base comprises three indexed documents, two citations, and an h-index of one, spanning cybercrime resilience among social media users and secure database architecture for healthcare systems [3]. The most recent study reports a two-tier, insider-resilient design combining SHA-256 integrity verification with Argon2id credential hashing [4]. The assessment applies neutral scholarly criteria and concludes that the work meets the award’s emphasis on applied innovation.
Keywords
- Cybersecurity
- Cybercrime resilience
- Secure database architecture
- SHA-256 integrity hashing
- Argon2id
- Healthcare information systems
- Insider threat
Introduction
Digital adoption in Nigeria has expanded the exposure of individuals and institutions to online threats, including identity theft, malware, and unauthorized access to critical records [5]. Research on protective behaviour and system-level defenses has therefore become relevant to both public policy and engineering practice. Aleke-Onyibe’s programme addresses these concerns through empirical surveys and design-science artefacts, situating his contribution within computer science and artificial intelligence applications for resource-constrained environments [3].
Research Profile
Aleke-Onyibe is affiliated with the Department of Computer Science at Edo University Iyamho, formerly Edo State University Uzairue, in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria [2]. His training spans computer science, information technology, and cybersecurity, with graduate study at the National Open University of Nigeria. He is a chartered information technology practitioner and a member of several professional bodies. His Google Scholar record lists three documents, two citations, and an h-index of one [1].
Research Contributions
The first contribution is an empirical study of 400 social media users in Abuja that identified identity theft, cyberstalking, malware, and geo-locating behaviours as dominant threats, and evaluated anti-malware tools, outlier detection, password managers, and multi-factor authentication as resilience techniques [5]. The second is a two-tier database framework applying object-oriented analysis, UML modelling, SHA-256 integrity hashing, and Argon2 credential hashing to resist tampering [3]. The third extends this architecture to Nigerian healthcare, reporting detection of 97.39% of simulated unauthorized tampering attempts within one replication interval and 38–55 milliseconds of added login latency under concurrent use [4].
Publications
Aleke-Onyibe has authored three peer-reviewed publications. The 2023 Covenant Journal study surveyed 400 Abuja social media users on individual cybercrime resilience techniques [5]. A 2024 World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews paper proposed a two-tier database architecture against cyber threats [3]. The 2026 Journal of Electrical Systems and Information Technology article presented an insider-resilient SHA-256 and Argon2id framework for Nigerian healthcare, with him as corresponding author [4].
Research Impact
Bibliometric indicators remain modest, with two citations and an h-index of one recorded on Google Scholar [1]. Nevertheless, the reported tamper-detection rate and acceptable latency overhead indicate practical relevance for low-resource clinical settings, where integrity assurance and usability must be balanced [4]. The earlier survey contributes descriptive evidence on user-level resilience that may inform awareness campaigns and institutional policy [5].
Award Suitability
The Innovative Research Award category, associated with the Popular Engineer Awards, emphasizes applied originality and demonstrable problem relevance. The nominee’s work combines empirical fieldwork with a deployable security architecture and quantifiable evaluation metrics, aligning with these criteria [2]. The selection is supported by the peer-reviewed publication record and the corresponding-author role on collaborative studies conducted at Edo State University Iyamho [3].
Conclusion
Francis Alexander Aleke-Onyibe’s research on cybercrime resilience and insider-resilient database architecture represents a coherent, applied contribution to computer science and artificial intelligence in Nigeria. The documented outputs, evaluation results, and publication venues substantiate recognition under the Innovative Research Award, while citation indicators suggest the impact of the work will continue to develop [1] [4].
External Links
References
- Google Scholar. (n.d.). Citations profile: Francis Alexander Aleke-Onyibe, user NIAvmYYAAAAJ. Google Scholar.
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=NIAvmYYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
- Popular Engineer Awards. (n.d.). Innovative Research Award: Award category and selection criteria. Popular Engineer Awards.
https://popularengineer.org/
- Aleke, F., Edegbe, G. N., Samuel, O., & Akinola, S. O. (2024). A two-tier database architecture framework for combating cyber threats. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 24(1), 1700–1705.
https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.1.2939
- Aleke-Onyibe, S. F. A., & Edegbe, G. N. (2026). Insider-resilient database architecture for Nigerian healthcare cybersecurity using SHA-256 and Argon-2id-based two-tier approach. Journal of Electrical Systems and Information Technology, 13, 1–33.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43067-026-00404-3
- Onyibe, F. A., Edegbe, G. N., Omaji, S., & Olayinka, A. S. (2023). Combating cybercrime perpetrated via social media channels using individual resilience techniques. Covenant Journal of Informatics and Communication Technology, 15.
https://journals.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/cjict/article/view/4065
- ORCID. (n.d.). ORCID record: Francis Alexander Aleke-Onyibe, 0009-0005-3181-3068. ORCID Registry.
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3181-3068