The Nigerian Army has collaborated with the National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on the utilization of modern technology to tackle the activities of insurgents and other security challenges in the country.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of a seminar on Monday in Abuja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, said the nation was currently witnessing one of the most challenging times in its history.
Yahaya, who was represented by the Chief of transformation and innovation, Maj. Gen. Charles Ofoche said that the seminar aimed at broadening the knowledge of participants.
He said this was on the roles of inter-agency collaboration and the use of technology to address national security challenges.
He said that the country was facing insecurity issues, considering the myriads of complex security challenges bedeviling Nigeria.
He also said that the security environment was replete with acts of insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry from BHT, ISWAP, IPOB, ESN, and other terrorist organizations.
He added that the acts had continually posed huge threats to national security and cohesion as a country.
According to him, the complexities of these threats cannot also be addressed without harnessing the capacity of our security agencies.
He said, however, there had been various policy options adopted by both the Federal and some state governments to address the security challenges.
“The emphasis has been more on the kinetic approach. However, there is a huge requirement for non-kinetic efforts which include the use of technology and whole of government and society approaches.
“There is this a compelling requirement to explore the utilization of modern technology and leverage more on inter-agency collaboration towards addressing these challenges, ” he said.
The Army chief urged security commanders at all levels to make deliberate efforts towards fostering practical cooperation and collaboration by their personnel in the course of operations.