By Angeline Mgbele, Correspondent Abuja
With the advent of artificial intelligence, automated vehicles and drones amongst many other hi-tech innovations in fighting wars worldwide, the Director-General at the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA) Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi has said that the use of technology in combating insecurity in the country can never be overemphasized.
Mallam Abdullahi made this known when he played host to the Rector of the Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology (NACEST) Makurdi, at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, “It is important to know how to use technology not just as an enabler but as a strategic design for your strategy in general which will inspire you to do more”.
“NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024) is built on seven pillars with their respective goals and objectives, which are; Developmental Regulations, Digital Literacy and Skills, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, Emerging Technologies, and Promotion of Indigenous Content,” he added.
Abdullahi noted that the Agency’s focus was improving how things were being done using technology and innovation by creating an enabling environment and an innovation ecosystem that would allow a smooth digitized process, adding that the Agency was ready to collaborate with NACEST to deploy technologies to combat and proffer solutions to the country’s rising issue of insecurity.
He averred that innovation did not happen in isolation but rather, with proper alignment and positioning in a relevant ecosystem which necessitated the proposed collaboration between the two parties, adding that there was cross pollination between ICT and the Nigerian Army College of Environmental Sciences and Technology (NACEST).
“The National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, a subsidiary of the Agency is fostering the development of emerging technologies in preparing Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in which NACEST can partner in research, development of technologies like drones, robotics, Artificial Intelligence etc as a veritable tool in combating National insecurity,” he elucidated.
The Rector NACEST Makurdi, Brigadier-General Yahaya Abdulhamid in his remark noted that the school was one of the Polytechnics that ran Diploma Programme in Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
He said the College was regulated by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), a National body mandated with the responsibility to ensure the quality of all Diploma certificated programmes in Nigeria.
General Abdulhamid further disclosed that the school employed the Information Communications Technology (ICT) in the Computer Engineering laboratory, Computer Science Laboratory, E-Library, ICT centre, Management Information System (MIS), editing and Advertising Laboratory, Resource centre, Television and Radio Studios among others.
“We cannot have the best in what we are doing until we link our activities, operations and processes to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which will provide us a path way towards achieving our goals and objectives, which everything we do technology drives in achieving it.”
“Nigerian Army College of Environmental Sciences and Technology is diverting from the theoretical process and focusing more on the practical aspects to enable us provide solutions to our problems, he stated.
Abdulhamid commended NITDA for the various IT interventions deployed across the country towards the growth and development of IT which plays a critical role for the advancement of the country and also towards National security.
