Nigeria needs to integrate artificial intelligence to enable the nation tackle the myriad of insecurity issues facing it.
According to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the country needs collaboration between the security industry and the startup ecosystem to address the issues.
Inuwa while hosting the Commandant of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Mr A. S Adeleke, represented by Deputy Commandant D. E Egbeji, noted that collaboration could harness the vast opportunities offered by IT, including the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and other emerging technologies to strengthen the security sector.
Inuwa stated that AI is a driving force globally, saying that NITDA actively supports AI growth in Nigeria through initiatives like the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and the ongoing development of the National Artificial Intelligence Policy.
He added that such partnerships align with the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), particularly the pillar focused on forging strategic partnerships and collaborations.
The NISS Commandant, Adeleke expressed the institute’s intent to learn from NITDA’s experience, adding, “We are here to share from your experience and to gather all we can from the beginning of the course, because at the end of the course we are expected to make an executive brief to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that will aid policy formulation and implementation.”
In his earlier comments, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, offered a comprehensive overview detailing the evolutionary journey of NITDA from its inception to the present day.
