Interior Minister calls for Better Partnership Between Town and Gown to Fight Insecurity
The Honorable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has said that Public Private Partnerships offer an avenue to scale university-led innovations and commercialize security technologies thereby creating sustainable security solutions especially in solving the prevalent insecurities in the country.
The minister stated this while delivering the convocation lecture of the combined 34th and 35th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology Akure on Friday November ,29 2024.
Speaking on the theme “Harnessing Technological Innovation: A Strategic Solution to Insecurity” , canvassed the upscaling of the funding of research in order to concretize them into products and services. According to him, “We must adequately fund research and development teams, and bodies to help in evaluating and proffering solutions to present and future challenges.We must resist the urge to administer short term solutions to long term problems as this will only compound our problems in the future.We must embrace local brains, local people, local ideas”.
The minister also called for better collaboration between the academia and industry to deepen progress of the country. He said “Academic institutions like the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), are vital hubs for research and innovation. They possess the intellectual capacity, technical expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities needed to develop cutting-edge security technologies. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, universities can pioneer advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and surveillance technologies tailored to Nigeria’s unique security landscape”.
While acknowledging that technology will never replace man because the place of human intelligence in driving and managing technology cannot be overemphasized, he advised that , ” technology plan without an adequate provision for support for humans is no plan. Therefore, as leaders, while we invest in both software and hardware components of technology, we must equally invest in this critical element of human-ware. Whether through their welfare packages, training or other career entitlements”
Dr. Tunji-Ojo stated that it is pertinent to continue to invest in the education of young people in various science and technology disciplines so that they can grow to become a critical building block in the society.
Talking to the graduands he said “You are graduating from a university of technology in an emerging economy. Use it well. Profer solutions. Analyze problems and solve them. The world is gravitating towards solutions that bring comfort . Put what you have been taught to good use and you may just be the one to put your family on the global map. Do the unusual. Education is your rightful inheritance, and it is incumbent upon you to claim your share wherever and whenever you encounter it. Continue to learn, to grow, and to adapt, for in doing so, you will not only enrich your own lives but also contribute significantly to the society you serve, especially in areas of adapting technology to solve challenges of health, education, finance, and the big focus of this lecture -INSECURITY.”
The Minister emphasized that technology will undoubtedly continue to be crucial in shaping responses to emerging threats and Nigeria must continue to leverage on it . He also expressed optimism that with ongoing investment in technological innovation and a collaborative security approach being championed by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration ,exemplified in the full digitalisation of the issuance of passport and other functions of the Ministry of the Interior , “we can forge a brighter, safer future for generations to come”.
In her remarks the Vice Chancellor Professor Adenike Oladiji commended the lecturer for the cerebral delivery of the lecture. She said it was apt given the precarious state of the nation with regards to insecurity. She urged all stakeholders to collaborate to build a safer Nigeria where the youth can be productive and the safety of lives and property of citizens is safeguarded.
