Ict/Telecom
Minister Tasks Security Agencies On National Databases
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami has appealed to security agencies to make use of databases by National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to address security challenges.
Pantami said this at the 4th National Identity Day celebration in Abuja with the theme’ Traditional Institutions as Critical Stakeholders for Citizens Mobilisation”.
He said both the Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) and the NIN were available to solve the security challenges currently faced in the country.
“We are pleading with security institutions to make use of the database.It is not our work to do the security work, our own is to support them with these two databases available, NIN and SIM. From information at my disposal, the CEOs of these institutions, the utilisation has been highly insignificant”, he said.
He also said the challenges of education, health, security and many more would be addressed with complete databases in the country in partnership with National Population Commission (NPC).
“Proper databases will guide us as a country to know the age bracket of the population under and below 60 years, male, female, those living in the rural and urban areas. From the databases we can plan easily, data base is the foundation of getting our education, medical system, food security and security right in the country”, he said.
He also pointed out that traditional rulers and other institutions in the country have critical roles to play in mediating, stimulating, mobilising and rallying our people, in the rural, semi-urban and even urban areas, to embrace enrolment to obtain their NIN.
Pantami, however encouragedthe citizenry to embrace enrolment to ensure that the remaining population that were yet to be enrolled is fully covered, adding that it can be achieved in the next 24 months.
The Director-General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, said the Commission would be partnering with the traditional rulers and traditional institutions all over the nation to raise awareness on the need for NIN registration and usage.
“We want to use this opportunity and platform to appeal for the active participation of the traditional institutions in drumming up support for government programmes and in this case, the National Identification project. Identification is a tool for empowerment and greater use of digital ID can help bring the much-needed governance and coordination in development and service delivery. NIMC had made great strides on so many fronts in the last three years.From just over 1,000 enrolment centres and 2,000 enrolment devices across the country,” he said.
Aziz said NIMC in partnership with its licensed enrolment partners had more than 15,000 enrolment centres and more than 29,000 enrolment devices deployed nationwide.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has remarked that space, science and technology will be crucial to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Nnaji said this during his maiden visit and facility tour of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja, recently.
The Minister said the space agency had strategic roles in harnessing space, science and technology for national development and technological advancement.
According to him, the giant strides achieved by the space agency resonates both in the country and in the diaspora, and positioned the country as a key player in space exploration and research.
“The present administration of Renewed Hope for Nigerians will undoubtedly enhance the activities of the agency’s contribution to food security, security of lives, property, wealth creation and provision of employment”, he said.
He further stated that his visit to the space agency was to ensure he got information that would be critical in decision-making towards the attainment of his set objectives.
The Minister commended the leadership of the agency for successes recorded, proactive efforts towards sourcing alternative funding through commercialisation of research products and public private partnerships.
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr. Halilu Shaba, appreciated the minister, and added that the visit is a testament to the importance placed on the strategic role of science, innovation and technology in shaping the future.
Shaba acknowledged the minister’s visionary leadership style.
He, however, assured that the agency would consistently strive to push the boundaries of space exploration and satellite technology for the betterment of the nation.
The Chief Executive Of- ficer of Cybervergent, Mr. Adetokunbo Omotosho, has called for more homegrown solutions to solve cybersecurity challenges in the country.
Omotosho said this in an interview with The Tide’s source in Lagos, recently.
He noted that bringing foreign digital cybersecurity solutions to solve challenges peculiar to Nigeria could be cumbersome and might go through a lot of processes before adaptation.
According to him, Nigeria needed solutions that are developed locally either for cybercrime or physical crime that can be paid for in naira.
He said when cybersecurity solutions are too expensive, only few people would be able to afford them.
“Cybervergent has developed indigenous solutions that is helping the security architecture of Nigeria. Our own solutions are basically compatible with our needs, which do not necessarily require bringing foreign solutions to solve our cybersecurity challenges”, he said.
Also, Omotosho noted that it was essential to establish partnerships between government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector to promote innovation and the development of indigenous cybersecurity technologies.
He further urged the government to provide support, funding, and incentives to cybersecurity startups working on innovative cybersecurity solutions.
The expert recalled that these startups could play a significant role in creating homegrown technologies.
The Tide’s source gathered that Cybervergent is a technology company providing cybersecurity solutions for large scale and effective solutions.
The company also handles cybersecurity compliance solutions, security, risk and privacy programmes and data security.
The Country Lead and ‘Blue Economy Has Nexus With Digital Economy’
Programme Adviser, Global Digital Access Programme, UK Government, Mr. Idongesit Udoh, has revealed that the Nigeria blue economy’s future has a close relationship with the blue and digital economy development of the country.
Udoh said this at the African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE) with the theme: “The Convergence: Maritime Meets Information and Communication Technology (ICT)”, in Lagos over the week.
Udoh urged the Federal Govemment on strategic investment in innovations that would bring about the sustainability of the blue economy.
He noted that both joined together was actually the future that would help the country realise the potential of the Blue Economy.
Udoh spoke on the topic: “ICT Disruption for the Sustainability of the Blue Economy”.
According to him, the investment in innovations will bring about the resilience and efficiency of the blue economy and every other positive things to come.
“ICT is an enabler and there are a lot of areas using ICT to aid growth in the blue economy for transportation, tourism and others.
“There is surveillance using Artificial Intelligence, internet of things, cyber security, documentation and storage cloud computing”, he said.
He noted that the creation of a Ministry dedicated to Marine and Blue Economy was a step in the right direction.
“The challenges seen in the sector such as infrastructure, capacity building, finance, funding, is clear that these challenges must be cleared to drive the adoption that is needed”, he said.
He said to aid technology adoption, there was the need for capacity building, exposing key policy makers on possibilities within the ICT sector and how to shore up infrastructure capacity to actually accommodate the level of ICT adoption that was needed.
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, noted that the lack of port community system in Nigeria had made the nation’s ports the most inefficient port in Africa.
Bello-Koko, represented by the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Mr. Charles Okaga, said a review with ports in Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo was done and this showed a drastic drop-in dwell time of cargo from 21 to three days.
“This was achieved because they have a functional port community system. For the success of the system, it also require the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to ensure consistent power supply in the port”, he said.
Earlier, the Founder, African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE), Mrs. Ezinne Azunna, noted that the aim of the conference was to help stakeholders find ICT solutions that would drive safer, swifter, more secure and cost effective operations and innovations.
“AMAE uses photograph, textile art, paint, sculpture and other motifs/subjects to tell stories and support caused around the blue economy.
“It remains the singular exhibition in Africa built around the portraiture of the blue economy and its causes, using aesthetic and semiotic elements”, she said.