Vice-Chancellor, Summit University, Offa, Kwara State Prof. Abiodun Aibinu, has urged the Nigerian government to embrace the use of technology to tackle insecurity and reduce unemployment.
Aibinu made the call at a two-day workshop on Artificial intelligence (AI), organised by a group of Robotic Engineering (Indabax Nigeria), to strengthen deep learning in technology Monday in Ibadan.
The theme of the workshop was: “Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Futuristic Technologies”.
He said that Nigeria, as a country with abundant resources and human capability, needed to transform from developing to developed nation by adopting key technology in addressing issues.
Aibinu, a Professor of Mechatronics, said that adopting and embracing Artificial Intelligence (IA) technology, which is transfer of intelligence from man to machine, would make processes less human dependent.
According to him, the use of technology will lead to knowledge economy that would create more jobs, contrary to people’s mindsets that use of technology would lead to job lost.
“What Nigeria need to do is to revisit or review her education policy.
“And it should start focussing on knowledge economy where Artificial Intelligence with the use of robot, drone and other technologies will come to play in solving problems and make work less cumbersome.
“The reason Nigeria is still having challenges in tackling insecurity is because of human factor.
“The solution to it is to adopt technology and a lot of things can be done with the use of technology.
“With the use of technology, you can carry out surveillance, patrol and detect invaders and have robotic Army.
“These will go a long way in addressing the insecurity challenges and create more jobs,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, said the agency has introduced some enforcement measures to regulate the IT sector in order to protect the citizens.
Inuwa, represented by Dr Falilat Jimoh, said that the agency was concerned about how IT technology could be utilised to foster healthy growth of the nation’s digital economy and safety.
Also, Dr Ahmed Olanrewaju, an Assistant System Analyst at the University of Ibadan, who is also the Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the workshop, said that technology could create more jobs contrary to the believe that technology would lead to jobs loss.
Olanrewaju said: “This is a gathering of people who are into artificial intelligence to chart a way forward and find a common ground to expose ourselves to new technologies and research.
“Technology cannot lead to job loss. It is just a mentality.
“Look at NITEL, how many staff were there compare to the current situation when we have GSM; look at the numbers of people that have been employed.”
Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on ICT and E-commerce, Adebayo Akande was among the dignatories at the occasion.
