Prof. Sodiya, speaking at the Nigeria Computer Society’s national secretariat in Alausa-Ikeja, acknowledged the society’s exponential increase in membership strength and chapters scattered across the country as proof of his leadership’s outstanding achievements. Prof. Sodiya noted that the number of NCS state chapters has increased to 27 from the nine he met when his executive board was appointed, with promises of additional states to be established soon. He estimates that the body’s entire membership is around 15,000 people.
The president, who is also a lecturer at the prestigious Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta in Ogun State, spoke about the impact of the NIN SIM linkage on Nigeria and how it will aid in resolving security issues that have become a source of concern for both the government and the general public. He feels that NIMC’s action is a positive one, and that this policy would only serve to correctly identify Nigerians, which will, in turn, stop or enable perpetrators of current security breaches to be traced and apprehended in the long run.
According to the President, the Tech Innovation Development Programme was developed because innovation and supporting young innovators are still central to the Society’s mission in his administration. This program, he said, will ensure that innovators are mentored and supported, particularly those who strive to solve Nigeria’s current concerns.
The president discussed the upcoming NCS Pantami Hackathon and the goods that will be launched during the event to better support the Society’s goal of funding innovation. “We expect to see a presentation of items related to developing technology, anti-corruption, security, intelligence gathering, and a variety of other topics.” Sodiya went on to say that the NCS was collaborating with NITDA and other agencies, as well as stakeholders and the office of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who he described as a champion of innovation and a visionary leader in the pursuit for a digitally thriving Nigeria.
Prof. Sodiya went on to say that the AI apps launched at the recently finished AI Summit in Nasarawa are truly remarkable, and he assured the developers that they are being closely monitored and mentored by specialists to guarantee that the applications see the light of day. “We are committed to ensuring the success of the AI Summit in Nasarawa extends beyond a mere exhibition; our intention is to put in place a nurturing process to integrate the benefits of the solutions and see them through to maturity,” he exclaimed.
The president raised reservations about Nigeria’s readiness to absorb emerging technology, such as those used to scale up our agriculture industry in other countries. He urged inventors to begin thinking in this approach so that Nigerians might employ locally developed innovations to address the country’s own issues before thinking globally.
On the use of technology in electoral processes, the president said that the BVAS card reader upgrade used in the 2021 Anambra election is a step in the right direction, but that more collaboration between the NCS and INEC is needed in monitoring the electoral process, especially in the use of technology, and that fully adopting eVoting is the only way to get credible results.
The NCS president expressed the Society’s desire to see an inspiring political leader emerge to lead Nigeria. “In today’s society,” the NCS President stated, “we are expecting a tech-savvy political leadership because they want to ensure that the future president would take ICT and technology solutions very seriously.”
He emphasized the country’s examination malpractice problem while applauding JAMB for its efforts in conducting computer-based tests and encouraging WAEC and NECO to take a page from JAMB’s book.
The president thanked the government and people of Nasarawa State for their strong support during the recently ended AI Summit in Nasarawa. Nasarawa was chosen for the summit, he continued, since its governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule, is the NCS’s Digital Governor of the Year. The Summit was held to assess young Nigerians’ readiness to compete in AI and robotics against global competition.
The president, on the other hand, feels that without government support, little will be accomplished in AI and robotics. He stated that the organization is seeking to build a partnership with the government in order to implement AI and robotics. “We feel that automating government operations is a good place to start before completely smart cities may be realized in the future,” stated the president.
He concluded his press conference by mentioning the country’s security challenges, which clearly affect everyone. It is possible, according to the president, to monitor and follow criminals throughout the country using technology and command devices, unmanned vehicles, listening devices, and other means. He stated his discontent with the way the country’s insecurity issues are being handled, but he believes that with proper technological adoption, they may be fully eliminated.