NITDA pledges IT support for Army Resource Centre

DIRECTOR-general of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has agreed to form a strategic alliance with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre on research and development solutions to tackle Nigeria’s security and allied challenges. The agreementwasreachedduringa visitbyDirector General, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Major General Garba Wahab, at the agency’s corporate headquarters, Abuja.
He commended NITDA for assisting the cen- tre in providing ICT infrastructure and capacity buildingforthearmedforces: “ICTequipment given to the centre has been of great impact and many officers and staff of the centre have benefit- ted immensely from the trainings conducted using those facilities. The main current concern is how to provide research-based solutions to security problems, particularly those facing the Nigerian Army.
“This time around, we are here to say thank you to NITDA, and also to ask for more interven- tion and support in ICT infrastructure to cater for the large number of personnel that requires the knowledge and usage of ICT.”
Abdullahi thanked the centre for the acknowl- edgement of NITDA’s modest contribution to
the centre. He, however, called for a strategic partnership and collaboration between the centre and NITDA for mutual benefit rather than mere support from NITDA. He argued that most ICT innovations have origin in the military as he strongly believed that the alliance between the two organizations would enhance the actualiza- tion of their mandates.
He referred to the theory of the United States Air Force fighter pilot, John Richard Boyd, who muted the OODA LOOP theory, which states, Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (OODA), asoneofthetheoriesused toarticulatethe
NITDA mandate. He hoped for a situation where research from the resource centre and other research institutions in the country could be turned into physical beneficial products for national development.
He stated that NITDA focused not only on research but also on development: “R and D are intertwined in NITDA to enable the production and implementation of such research outcome. National security is a big challenge today of which I believe the deployment of technology such as drones and robotics can address.”
He agreed that both parties could work together, “since research is a major aspect of the military. History shows that the Military and Information Technology have been strategic partners for a long time.” He added that com- munication gadgets started from the Military and that internet and strategy also started from the Military.
The NITDA DG said the collaboration and sharing of theoretical aspects would foster the development of prototype that would help the
industry and the country at large: “Innovation cannot be done in isolation. There is need to cross fertilize in the development of innovation.”
Abdullahi suggested that crowd sourcing of intelligence could be employed to develop a solu- tion to the current challenges: “NITDA start-ups can be challenged to come up with an innovation and the best ideas will be adopted.”
He mentioned the recent commissioning of the National Centre Artificial Intelligence and Robotics with equipment that could design and print prototype of drones, robots and others.
He said the relationship between the two organizations would foster a better Nigeria: “There is a need to set up a committee to work on the modalities while still promising to support the centre with IT infrastructure. We are looking at a win–win situation from the collaboration for both organizations and the country in general.”
Acommittee madeupoftwodirectorsfrom NITDA and two senior officers from the centre was inaugurated to ensure the smooth take-off of the partnership.