Prof. Peter Osanaiye has recommended that the Federal Government create a central database with a unique national security code to address the security challenges in Nigeria.
Osanaiye, a professor of statistics at the University of Illorin, spoke on Wednesday in Keffi at the 45th Annual Statistical Conference 2022.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day conference has as its theme: “Security Challenges in Nigeria and Associated Consequences: A Statistical Overview. ”
The conference is organised by the Nigerian Statistical Association in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
He said the central base should probably be located in the NBS made up of databases of biometrics and other relevant information.
The professor said the relevant information and biometrics should be gathered from the Nigerian Communication Commission’s mobile operator’s subscribers, and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
He said information should also be obtained from the FRSC drivers licenspce, and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)’ s citizen international passport details.
“Also, the National Identity Management Commission’s identity cards which capture the citizens’ details and other relevant databases from other agencies.
“Such integration of databases will involve combining data residing in different sources and provide users with a unified view of having the benefit of identity management and its impact on combating insecurity in Nigeria.
” It will also result in transformation of governance for reducing corruption, crime and criminality.”
Osanaiye also recommended that NBS establish and strengthen the unit in charge of security information for capturing and collating security challenges data.
He said this data would be collected from the local government level and crime reports from the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, FRSC, NIS and other agencies.
According to him, this will make available security information in Nigeria for sharing, analysing and updating.
Osanaiye also recommended the strengthening of existing intelligence gathering/surveillance methods to meet global best practices and exploit emerging opportunities for security management.
He said the causes of the security challenges in Nigeria include weak security systems, corruption, elite exploitation of ethnicity and religious difference, and loss of socio-cultural and communal value system.
According to him, corruption is the most potent factor responsible for the insecurity challenges in Nigeria.
“If you chase corruption away, up to 80 per cent of the problems of insecurity will be solved,” he said
Prof. Polycap Chigbu, a professor of statistics at the University of Nigeria, made a presentation titled “Fanning the Flames: Security/Insecurity, Security Challenges and Economic Development”.
According to him Nigeria’s economic growth rate from 2015 to date has been erratic.
Chigbu listed some of the causes of insecurity in Nigeria to include illiteracy, youth unemployment/cyber security challenges, poor funding of education and strike actions by the staff of tertiary institutions, and inaccurate population census numbers.
He gave some recommendations to help solve the insecurity challenges in the country which include the reorganisation of the country’s security architecture.
Chigbu said adequate military technologies and proper logistics should be put in place, adding that modern technology needed to be deployed in combating insecurity and addressing the country’s security challenges.
The professor said that a regular population census should be conducted to enhance proper planning for both adequate security architecture and the economy.
He said better and increased collection of statistical data associated with security challenges should be encouraged.
Chigbu also recommended the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate state and local Police in Nigeria’s security architecture.
He said the government needed to improve the welfare package of the military and security personnel to boost their morale, as he urged well-meaning Nigerians to support them.
“The armed forces should be encouraged to work in synergy to achieve more significant successes.”(NAN)
