“Meet the Gombe State inventor who developed 78 scientific innovations despite having no formal Western education.”

Engr. (Dr ) Hadi Usman

Dr. Hadi Usman, a self-taught inventor from Gombe, has gained national recognition for creating remarkable devices, including a helicopter built from a Vespa engine, a local radio transmitter, and a water-powered stove. Despite not receiving formal Western education, he earned an honorary doctorate from Gombe State University and now lectures there, teaching electronics and satellite installation.

Early Life and Career:

Born in 1953 in Azare, Bauchi State, Hadi Usman moved to Gombe in 1969. Trained mainly in Quranic studies, he later became a mechanic and, by 1972, ventured into electronic repairs—laying the foundation for his inventive work.

Inventions:

He is credited with developing numerous devices, such as:

• Gombe’s first radio transmitter (1978)

• A helicopter powered by a Vespa engine

• A water-powered stove and a fuel-less generator

• A special receiver capable of picking up voices from distant locations

Recognition and Current Role:

In 2023, Gombe State University awarded him an honorary doctorate in Science and Innovation. A year earlier, he joined the university’s Department of Physics as a lecturer, where he now teaches electronics and satellite installation. His work has been widely celebrated in Nigerian media, which describe him as an “electronic genius.”