Photo: Group photo of participants with the D-G
Dr Bakut Bakut, Director-General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has said that the deployment of advanced technology is key to the early detection, prediction, prevention and curbing banditry, kidnappings and terrorism in Nigeria.
Bakut stated this while welcoming participants to the institute’s 3rd Quarterly Roundtable of the Africa-China Research Unit (ACRU) with the theme: Africa-China Science and Technology Cooperation and SDGs 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
The Director-General noted that the theme of the round table was apt and very important to the Institute, as well as all lovers of peace and development as the event would afford the Institute and the participants the opportunity to interrogate Africa’s engagements with her friends, especially the Peoples Republic of China.
The IPCR boss stressed that the outcome of the round table was critical for conflict prevention and peace building because it would enable the institute to provide the Federal Government with policy relevant options for interventions that would address the prevailing violent conflicts and violent crimes in the country.
“Across the world, the trends and dynamics of violent conflicts and violent crimes have continued to evolve and manifest in very complex incidents, which require the deployment of modern technology.
“The Institute recognises the importance of technology for conflict prevention and building peace following the successful conduct of the 2003 Strategic Conflict Assessment of Nigeria (SCAN).
“The place of advanced technology in the early detection and prediction of violent conflicts and violent crimes will help us to properly understand conflict causes, actors, trends and dynamics in order to be able to provide government with policy relevant options for intervention,” he said.
Dr Bakut further decried the current incidents of violent conflicts and violent crimes in Nigeria, which he noted, are not abating but escalating across the country.
“The pathetic trend with the abduction of school children and innocent village dwellers is a dent on our image as a country as the peace and security challenges continue to threaten our collective freedom from fear, want and dignity,” he added.
He said that IPCR was in need of serious funding from all critical stakeholders to effectively carry out its mandate as it was faced with the challenges of paucity of funding with implications on staff performance. This, he said, was further compounded by the economic crisis that trailed the COVID-19 pandemic and the dwindling revenue to the government.
“The deployment of advanced technology in the early detection and prediction of violent conflicts and violent crimes will help us to properly understand conflict causes, actors, trends and dynamics in order to be able to provide government with policy relevant options for intervention,” he added.
The round table attracted participants from the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the IPCR, among others, who made various contributions.(NAN)
