The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami has described as crucial the need to deploy integrated digital technology to tackle the increasing rate of insecurity in Nigeria.
Pantami said this in his keynote address at the maiden annual conference of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) on Monday in Abuja.
He said modern intelligence gathering devices should be acquired and deployed to relevant law enforcement agencies to address insecurity challenges adequately.
He noted that technologies like autonomous drones, satellites, Artificial Intelligence, video surveillance amongst others are important to complement the efforts of the law enforcement agencies to tackle insecurity in the country.
Represented by the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the minister said, to tackle insecurity effectively, utilizing digital technologies that leverage data was imperative.
He said: “To complement the efforts of our law enforcement agencies, the need to explore new ways to tackle insecurity through the effective use of data and digital technologies is crucial”.
“It is quite clear that digital technology has a great role to play in national security in Nigeria.
“The growing importance of technology presents new opportunities to benefit society and brings challenges to the approach and methodology of securing that society from insecurities,” he said.
He said: “The Federal Ministry Of Communications and Digital Economy and its parastatals are always ready to support our law enforcement agencies with all the technology required to boost their efforts towards tackling insecurity in Nigeria.
“Similarly, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), a subsidiary of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is fostering the development of emerging technologies in preparing Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution with R&D in technologies like Drones, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others, as a veritable tool in combating national insecurity.”
Earlier, the DG NITDA, Dr Abdullahi, while speaking on personal security, advised Nigerians not to put out their personal information carelessly on communication platforms.
Represented by Engr. Ahmed Yahuza, the NITDA boss said such information could also lead criminals to them physically if they see them as suitable targets.
