ICT: A Panacea To National Security

It is no doubt that security is one aspect of life that is very crucial in, and for human existence. Security is also a factor to recon if any society must advance both in human resources and infrastructure. For life to be meaningful and worth living in any given society, internal and external security must be certain. In recent times, Nigeria has been faced with severe security challenges that have threatened the soul and peaceful existence of the nation. Places of worship have been burnt and desecrated; homes, media houses, national and international institutions have been torched; and lives have been wasted. This article examined the potentials of ICT in curbing the rate of insecurity in Nigeria. This can only be achieved if all the patrons in the business of security and the ordinary man in the society queue in and harness the ICT potentials in the appropriate way.

Security is essential in all aspects of human struggle. Everyone deserves security and safety in the homes, schools, offices, workplaces, parks, roads, farms, market places etc. people of all ages have done much to ensure their security in all aspects of life, but it is unfortunate that despite all the attempts, man has not yet been able to achieve the security he heartily deserves. Recently in Nigeria and the world over, security has topped the agenda of conferences and gatherings. Discussions have not eluded the problems of armed robbery, kidnappings, cultism, raping, brutality by force men, and internet fraud and must recently, insurgency and terrorism.

“In a nutshell, in today’s Africa for example, the greatest problem confronting all the sundry, be it individual, corporate entities or even nations is insecurity, ranging from common misdemeanor to treasonable felony, and the magnitude has defied even dogged imaginations. To mention but a few instances, kidnappers and terrorists are on the rampage in some countries. Islamist and ethnic militant groups amass more and more weapons by which they wreak havoc on properties and send thousands of innocent individuals to their early graves. They operate both with and across the countries, some having formed formidable networks of hardened criminals in various countries”. As commented by Cafrad.

The source further states that insecurity is a problem that knows no level or class. It affects the poor as adversely as it affects the rich. Its gravity on rulers is as much as it is on the ruled. Both the young and the old are victims. No doubt, human beings need security for themselves for their survival and existence. In the same vein, they need security for their properties. Many concerned citizens and the various governments have made serious inputs into combating crime in the society but not enough hence all their inputs have not yielded any serious dividend.

The failure of the government and stakeholders to curb and ensure adequate security for the citizenry has given rise to the imperatives of seeking for alternative means for reducing crime in the society. This brings ICT into focus to tackle security challenges.

The egress of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the global life has made life a little easier and bearable. ICT is the catalyst and anchor that is propelling the world’s economy and life today. ICT also can go a long way to curb crime in the society if properly utilized.

Security experts content that is possible to see through security breaches ad nip them in the bud with ICT-enabled gadgets and software before they blossom. The upsurge in information technology has affected every segment of human existence including security.

CAFRAD in 2014 still commented that “modern technology and more so Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have revolutionalized the world to such an extent that all those who can afford them apply them in virtually and aspects of their day to day endeavours. The all-important security cannot afford to be an exception. This will maximize security. To this extent, it is strongly believed that with the kind of success which ICT has recorded in all spheres of life there is no doubt that it will be of tremendous assistance in solving the intractable problem of insecurity in Africa”.

This revolution occasioned by ICT can be applied in security and crime detection and reduction in any society that wishes her security a priority. Nigeria as a nation needs to key into this development.

A BRIEF LOOK AT THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are electronic technologies used for information storage and retrieval. Walton states that ICT is a vast field encompassing virtually all technologies that can store, receive or transmit signals electronically. ICT is an electronic technologies used for accessing, processing, gathering, manipulating and presenting or communicating information – Yusufu (2007).

From the above, any machine that is electronic in nature, capable of accessing, processing, gathering, manipulating and presenting or communicating information to the user is terms Information and Communication Technology gadgets. Of course, some the examples include; computer, internet, microchips, cellular phones, mobile phones, close circuit television, CCTV camera, and so on.

ICT provides a speedy boost to manufacturing industries, construction, aviation, production and shipping. Programmers, builders, systems analyst and engineers, web designers, the academia, all own much of their jobs productivity in ICT in this age. ICT has taken over every aspect of segment of human existence and endeavor making life worth living. However, on a negative note, the increased efficiency and automation brought by ICT has also led to some negative outputs such as internet fraud, theft, robbery, moral degeneration, embezzlements and job losses, especially in manual roles in the manufacturing sector, and this has rendered many people jobless despite the fact that it has improved the efficiency and productivity of the concerned organizations.

This article is a complete eBook available if you need it.

In the complete eBook, the courses of National insecurity, role of ICT in curbing National insecurity such as easy communication, intelligent gathering, financial tracking, easy identity identification etc.