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Professor Akanbi Moses Adebowale of Lagos State University (LASU) has asked states and federal governments to incorporate mathematical modelling into public policies, saying that decision-making must be informed by rigorous simulation and sensitivity analysis from urban planning to education forecasting and healthcare.
Adebowale, who is the Dean, Faculty of Science at LASU, made the call while delivering the 114th inaugural lecture on the topic, ‘The Nature of Error: Human Fallibility Versus Divine Infallibility In Computational Thought’ at Buba Marwa Auditorium.
The Professor of Computational Mathematics, while expressing his leadership philosophy said: “Leadership is not about hierarchy. It is about service, vision and accountability; qualities I believe reflect the character of divine stewardship. The God who rules the universe is also the God who washes feet (John 13:14). I have sought to lead with this same blend of authority and humility.
He recommended that the LASU management should strengthen mathematical research capacity and invest in research clusters on computational mathematics, especially in health, engineering and climate applications”
He called for the establishment of a Centre for Numerical Modelling and Simulation, to serve as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, postgraduate training and consultancy services.
He pushed for the embedding of ethical and philosophical components into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Curricula. “Students should learn not just how to calculate, but how to reflect on truth, purpose and the implications of their models.
“Nigeria must support indigenous software development and build its own numerical tools tailored for local needs and contexts, especially in education and health. We must promote mathematical literacy in basic education. In fact, mathematics should be taught as a language of reasoning, not just a subject to pass. This calls for teacher retraining, curriculum redesign and civic awareness”
To the global academic and theological community, he stressed the need for deliberate conversations between faith and computation. “There must be forums, journals and conferences, where scientists and theologians reflect jointly on divine order and numerical chaos. We should develop a theology of error: What does it mean to fail? Why is approximation necessary in a fallen world? How does the incarnation, God entering human error-prone systems, redeem our modelling?
“We should promote open science with moral foundations. As algorithms govern more aspects of life, we must not let automation outpace accountability. Mathematics will continue to evolve. Solvers will become smarter. Models will become more complex. But, we must remember that no method is without error, no model can capture the whole and no computation can replace contemplation. Yet, we must keep computing, not because we are perfect, but because we are called.”
He urged the Lagos State Government to officially recognise the new king-elect of Ishashi land, High Chief AbdulYahya Ishola Fagbayi, by giving the staff of office to him without further delay. “While appreciating Governor Babajide Sanwolu for previous gestures of development in Isashi land, I am calling his attention to the current infrastructural deficit, especially the need for more access roads,” he added.
