By Abubakar H. Muhammad (9News Nigeria, Northeast)
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday urged a shift in Nigeria’s security strategy, calling for the deployment of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to confront threats.
Speaking at the Kogi Security Summit in Abuja, Zulum said methods alone cannot dismantle networks.
“For us to address the insecurity, we need to possess technological warfare; technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics are now deployed to combat crime,” he told stakeholders.
Technology as Force Multiplier
Zulum advocated for surveillance drones, biometric tracking, and predictive analytics to pre-empt attacks rather than respond to them.
Beyond Hardware: Poverty, Citizens’ Role
The governor stressed that buying equipment is not enough.
He warned that insecurity will persist unless drivers — poverty, unemployment, hunger, infrastructure, illiteracy, and vulnerabilities — are tackled.
“While it is critical to purchase equipment such as vehicles, MRAPS, drones and other facilities to confront the insecurity, most importantly, without addressing the factors such as poverty, road infrastructures, agriculture, among others, insecurity will not end.
So, I want you to dedicate some of your funding to addressing such issues,” Zulum said.
He also called security a “burden,” urging citizens to take ownership by participating in intelligence gathering and community policing instead of leaving the fight to security agencies.
“Understanding the dimensions of every crisis is important.
Increasing poverty, vulnerabilities, deficit, illiteracy, among others, have to be addressed if we want security in our communities,” he added.
Peace-Development Nexus
Zulum linked security to development, noting that “the security of lives and property is the objective of any administration.”
“It is only when there is security that there will be peace; and without peace, there will be no development,” he stressed.
The governor was accompanied by Hon. Engr. Bukar Talba, member representing Marte, Monguno, Nganzai Federal Constituency.
