Connect with us

Tech

Don Proposes AI Solution For Insecurity, Unemployment

Published

on

Don Proposes AI Solution For Insecurity, Unemployment

A don and Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, has advocated for the deployment of Artificial Intelligence in tackling the rising insecurity in the country.

Fawehinmi also said that if effectively deployed, AI will create more jobs.

He said this while answering questions from newsmen shortly after the maiden inaugural lecture of the Nigerian British University in Asa, a border community between Abia and Rivers states

The inaugural lecture titled ‘Igniting African Renaissance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Reclaiming Innovation and Reimagining Futures’. was delivered by Prof. Ekpe Okorafor, who is the Dean, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology in the institution.

The Vice Chancellor further said AI will engender precision and boost manufacturing, improve economic planning and other spheres of human life and expressed the optimism that governments at all levels will leverage on the revolution to do things better.

The don stated, “Artificial Intelligence will promote the Nigerian economy through digitalizing most of the processes which we do manually.

“I’m not saying it will put people out of jobs but it will create precision in manufacturing, in the educational sector, even in fine arts, design and many other disciplines.

“So AI has come to stay. It will also enable planning, planning as an institution as an establishment because it could handle big data, analyze it and make decisions based on the data that was given to it. So it has come to stay and it will play a major role in aviation, transport industry, logistic supply chain management and so on. So it will play a positive role in the economy.”

On insecurity, he said AI provides ready and scientific ways of tackling the challenge, saying, “Very well, AI can effectively do that because the robotics and other aspects of it can be used to detect threats and act in good time without much casualties.

“So it will be able to help us in that regard through the searchlights and on ground, in the regimented pattern, the way the military works. So AI has come to stay.”

The VC commended the inaugural lecturer who he describes as a resource person and an expert in AI, adding that he (Prof. Okorafor) has found the AI club which the institution has adopted.

“As part of our mantra we want to deploy e-learning, e-teaching, that is digitize the campus. That is part of our vision and our mission and that is what we try to encourage our students to be, and they are forward-looking students.

“They have already formed the AI club and in that club they are beginning to carry out a lot of innovative and enterprising projects you know as a way of promoting Artificial Intelligence in their own domain.

“And they are domesticating whatever they are doing. So it will help us to preserve our values and culture because it is home-grown and they are going to own it. NBU will be at the forefront of that”, Prof. Fawehinmi stated.

Earlier, the inaugural lecturer, Prof. Okorafor stresses the need for the domesticate AI in order to reflect the African culture and experiences.

He added, “The key questions are that when we are building these models, the question is who owns the data? Whose biases are being encoded in those models whether it is unconscious or conscious.

“And so if your data is not included then those models will not represent you. And so the AI tools and systems we are currently consuming don’t represent us.

“So what I mean by African centered Architecture is where we begin to encode our cultures, our traditions, our stories, nuances so that when we interact with these AI systems they know us, the models can respond to us not just the way it has been done that is more important.

“So that is really the heart of it is to make sure that it represents the African experience.”

He allayed fears that AI will lead to job loses, stating that it may not be completely ruled out, more jobs will actually be created with home-grown AI systems.

Okorafor who is also a research scholar at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy said, “Well I think transformation. You cannot because of fear holding onto the past not venture into the future. If we truly build AI systems that represent us, that means story tellers will become relevant.

“There will be new jobs, people who need to verify. So you may lose some jobs, but you create more. So been aware of the transformation means that we get to create that environment because some of the jobs we will lose will also mean we can create more.”

The don continued, “1So I think we need to change that thinking. That means we also have to be innovative. We need to see what the possibilities are. Right now you can actually see that there are new jobs, new opportunities being created.

“I mentioned story telling. Africa is rich in culture, we can be custodians. So suddenly now many people can begin to create digital opportunities where they can begin not to go to the villages and talk to the elders and create that information.

“Who knows that job in the future, who knows, but we can’t be sleeping, the world will move ahead. So we need to make this truly African.”

Punchng.com

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tech

BREAKING: Painful as Ooni of Ife Bereaved 

Published

on

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has announced the death of his immediate elder brother, Prince Adetunji Ogunwusi.

In a statement issued on Sunday through the palace’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Sodiq Lawal, the monarch described the late prince as a respected businessman whose life was devoted to family, enterprise and service to others.

The Ooni said the death of Prince Adetunji was a painful loss to the Ogunwusi family, the Ojaja Royal Dynasty and the people of Ile-Ife.

Prince Adetunji, who was born on December 8, 1967, belonged to the Ojaja lineage of the Giesi Ruling House in Ile-Ife. Until his death, he was the Group Chairman of Primewaterview Holdings.

Paying tribute to his late brother, the traditional ruler said he was widely admired for his leadership in business and his commitment to humanitarian causes.

The monarch described him as a dependable member of the royal family whose kindness, integrity and compassion earned him the respect of many.

“Today, the entire royal family mourns not only a brother and son but also a trusted confidant, a dependable pillar of our family and a man whose life reflected honour, dignity and uncommon compassion.

“His unwavering dedication to family values, his entrepreneurial spirit and his genuine love for humanity will forever remain a source of inspiration to us all,” he said.

The Ooni added that Prince Adetunji’s impact extended beyond the business world, noting that he quietly supported many people through acts of generosity, wise counsel and selfless service.

He also said the late prince remained committed to preserving the values of the Ojaja Royal Family while contributing to the development of society.

The monarch urged members of the Ogunwusi family and residents of Ile-Ife to find comfort in the legacy Prince Adetunji left behind.

“Though his earthly journey has come to an end, his footprints on the sands of time can never be erased. The Ogunwusis are comforted by the fact that Prince Adetunji lived a fulfilled life dedicated to God, family, enterprise and humanity.

“May the Almighty Olodumare give us all the strength to bear this painful loss,” he prayed.

The Ooni also prayed for the peaceful repose of his brother’s soul and for strength for his immediate family, friends, business associates and everyone affected by his passing

Continue Reading

Tech

Sad End as Top Nigerian Church General Overseer Dies (PHOTO)

Published

on

The Founder and General Overseer of All Christians Fellowship Mission (ACFM), Rev. Dr. William Okoye, is dead.

His death was announced in a statement jointly issued by the Board of Trustees, the National Executive Council of ACFM and the Okoye family.

According to the statement, the cleric “peacefully departed this earthly life” on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Rev. Okoye served as Chaplain of the Aso Villa Chapel during the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan. Religion& Belief

Announcing his passing, the church described it as “the glorious home call” of its founder and spiritual leader.

“The mission has lost its earthly shepherd, but heaven has welcomed a faithful servant who dedicated his entire life to the service of God and humanity,” the statement said.

The church urged members of the All Christians Fellowship Mission and Christians worldwide to remain resolute in faith.

“At this solemn moment, we call upon every member of All Christians Fellowship Mission and the entire Body of Christ, to remain steadfast in faith, united in love and fervent in prayer. We are confident that the God whom his servant faithfully proclaimed throughout his lifetime will continue to uphold and preserve his Church,” the statement added.

The leadership of the mission said consultations had already begun with the late cleric’s immediate family on arrangements to honour his life and ministry.

“The leadership of the Mission is already in consultation with the immediate family regarding arrangements to honor the life and ministry of our departed Founder and General Overseer. Further announcements concerning funeral arrangements and Burial Ceremonies shall be communicated through the official channels of the Mission at the appropriate time,” it said.

The church also expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support, saying, “Thank you all for your prayers and condolences in this trying time.” Funeral and burial arrangements are expected to be announced by the mission at a later date. Religion& Belief

 

Continue Reading

Tech

Tears as Influential Former Nigerian Minister Dies in Abuja, Photo Emerges 

Published

on

Professor Turner Isoun, former Nigerian minister of science and technology, died in Abuja at the age of 87.

According to Premium Times, the Isoun spokesperson, Diseye Timinipre Isoun, confirmed the passing of the family patriarch in a statement, noting that the elder statesman was based in Odi, Bayelsa state.

In his reaction, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa state described the late professor as “an academic colossus whose contributions to scholarship and national development are outstanding and immeasurable.”

He stated that Prof. Isoun’s demise was a significant loss not only to the Ijaw nation but also to Nigeria as a whole, The Nation reported.

Isoun, a professor of veterinary medicine by training, Isoun made his most enduring mark during his tenure as minister of science and technology in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was widely credited with driving Nigeria’s early push into information technology and space exploration.

Among his most consequential initiatives was the establishment of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the creation of Galaxy Backbone Plc, a government ICT firm set up to harmonise national communication networks and build a reliable broadband infrastructure across the country.

Under his watch, Nigeria also achieved landmark milestones in space technology, including the launch of NigeriaSat-1 and Nigcomsat 1R, two satellites that marked a defining chapter in the country’s scientific history. Before his ministerial career, Isoun had already distinguished himself in academia.

He served as the founding vice chancellor of the University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt in the old Rivers state, now known as Rivers State University, laying what Governor Diri described as the solid foundations of the country’s first technology-focused university.

Bayelsa mourns Turner Isoun

Beyond his academic and governmental roles, Isoun remained deeply connected to his Ijaw heritage. He served as chairman of the Ijaw National Congress, Central Zone, and played a notable part in the political process that led to the creation of Bayelsa state from the old Rivers state in 1996.

“The Odi-born scientist would be greatly missed for his candour, wise counsel and commitment to Ijaw socio-cultural values,” Governor Diri said, while extending condolences from the Bayelsa state Government to the Isoun family and community.

He urged them to take comfort in the late elder statesman’s lasting contributions to national life.

Continue Reading

Trending