ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

By Duff Ejok

Nigeria today stands at a dangerous crossroads. Insurgency continues to claim the lives of brave military officers and soldiers, across the northern region. In many parts of the country, kidnapping for ransom has evolved into a bourgeoning criminal enterprise, spreading fear among citizens and eroding confidence in the state’s ability to protect lives and property.

These developments are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of deeper structural and institutional challenges that demand urgent, decisive and sustained action.

The repeated loss of military personnel in our efforts to counter terrorism raises disturbing questions and distrusts. How do insurgents muster the courage and capacity to ambush, capture and kill trained soldiers with alarming frequency? Why does it appear that, in some cases, the enemy seems to operate with greater agility and intelligence than the very forces tasked with neutralising them? These are not questions of blame but of responsibility. They are questions that must provoke introspection within both military leadership and political authorities.

Also concerning is the paradox within the current counter insurgency framework. While soldiers risk their lives to apprehend insurgents, reports persist that some of these individuals later regain their freedom under controversial rehabilitation initiatives. Even more troubling are allegations that certain “repentant” insurgents are being absorbed into the military structure. This raises serious ethical, operational and morale concerns. For the average soldier on the frontlines, such policies can feel like a betrayal, undermining trust, weakening cohesion, and blurring the line between ally and adversary.

At the heart of this crisis lies a fundamental issue being morale. A poorly motivated force cannot effectively prosecute a complex and evolving insurgency. Nigerian soldiers are among the most resilient and courageous in the world, but courage alone cannot substitute for adequate welfare, proper equipment and institutional support. Reports of poor pay, delayed allowances, inadequate housing and insufficient medical care paint a grim picture. When those who defend the nation feel neglected, the consequences are predictable. They include diminished morale, reduced combat effectiveness and ultimately, strategic vulnerability.

The implications of continued neglect are dire. A weakened military risks creating a vacuum that insurgents and criminal networks will fervently exploit. The spectre of a nation without a strong standing army is not just hypothetical; it is a looming threat if current trends persist.

So, what must be done?
First, the government must prioritise the welfare of military personnel as a matter of national security. Competitive salaries, timely payment of allowances, improved housing and comprehensive healthcare are not luxuries but necessities. A soldier who is confident that his or her family is secure will fight with greater determination and focus. Beyond this, there must be deliberate policies for special promotions for personnel serving at the frontlines. Those who bear the greatest risk deserve accelerated career progression as recognition of their sacrifice and commitment.

Second, there must be a comprehensive review of the rules of engagement, intelligence coordination and operational strategies. The war against insurgency cannot be won through conventional tactics alone. It requires superior intelligence, modern technology and adaptive strategies that anticipate and outmanoeuvre the enemy.

Third, the policy on handling captured insurgents must be revisited. While rehabilitation and reintegration may have their place, they must not come at the expense of justice, accountability or military morale. Clear guidelines, transparency and strict oversight are essential to ensure that such programmes do not inadvertently embolden insurgents or demoralise troops.

Fourth, the government must introduce targeted incentives to boost morale. These should include hazard pay, life insurance packages, educational scholarships for children of personnel and structured reward systems for gallantry. In addition, there must be robust internal oversight mechanisms to ensure that funds and resources allocated for the prosecution of the insurgency are properly deployed. Too often, resources approved at the top fail to reach the soldiers who need them most. Leakages, diversion of funds and bureaucratic inefficiencies must be decisively addressed. Accountability should not be optional; it must be enforced at all levels of command.

Fifth, special attention must be given to the families of fallen heroes. Widows and children of deceased personnel often face immense hardship. A nation that fails to care for those left behind sends a dangerous message to those still in uniform. Structured support systems, ranging from prompt financial compensation to long-term educational and psychological support, must be institutionalised and efficiently administered.

Sixth, government pronouncements on welfare must move beyond mere rhetoric. Too often, policies are announced with fanfare but remain largely symbolic, existing only “for the optics” rather than producing real impact. This gap between policy and implementation fuels frustration within the ranks and deepens public scepticism. What is required is not more promises, but measurable outcomes that directly improve the lives of soldiers and officers and their families.

Finally, the rising tide of kidnapping for ransom demands a far more aggressive, intelligence-driven response. It is unacceptable that criminal elements can abduct citizens, circulate images and videos of their victims in distress and still operate with impunity. This not only emboldens perpetrators but also humiliates the state. Government possesses the capability, through intelligence gathering, digital tracking and coordinated security operations, to identify, track and dismantle these networks. What is needed is the will to act swiftly and decisively. Every successful rescue and prosecution restores public confidence; every failure reinforces fear.

Nigeria’s security challenges are complex, but they are not insurmountable. What is required is political will, strategic clarity and a genuine commitment to the men and women who stand between the nation and chaos. The time for incremental adjustments has passed. What is needed now is bold, systemic reform.

A nation that honours its soldiers, invests in their welfare and equips them adequately does more than strengthen its military, it secures its future. Nigeria must rise to this moment, not only to defeat insurgency and criminality but to restore confidence in the very idea of the Nigerian state.
The cost of inaction is simply too high.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

By Sonny Aragba-Akpore

The future of technology is getting more interesting as the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) takes centre stage.
But while the fast adoption creates excitement for scientists and those who desire to deploy technology for everyday use and everything,there are manifest fears of possible abuse of AI if strategies are not put in place to guide both promoters and users.
Questions of ethics and compliance are being raised and these have created worries for everyone.
And to douse these fears and create a semblance of comfort for all,AI governance is becoming necessary to stem a potential unwholesome practice.
“AI governance encompasses the frameworks, policies and practices that promote the responsible, ethical and safe development and use of AI systems. It establishes the guardrails that enable innovation while protecting stakeholders from potential harm” analysts agree.
Responsible AI governance considers among others:Ethical standards which define AI governance policies to promote human-centric and trustworthy AI and ensure a high level of protection of health, safety and fundamental human rights.
On regulations and policies,Boards consider compliance with applicable legal frameworks that govern AI usage where they operate, or intend to operate, such as the European Union (EU) AI Act.
The governance treats Accountability and oversight to ensure Organizations assign responsibility for AI decisions to ensure human oversight and prevent misuse and abuse.
Chief technology officers, risk officers, chief legal officers and their boards must develop a governance approach that protects data, prevents unauthorized access to ensure that AI systems don’t become a cybersecurity threat.
As AI governance fast emerges as one of the most pressing strategic challenges facing boards and everyday living today,its governance remains a major concern.
In the Q4 2025 Business Risk Index conducted by Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member, “60% of legal, compliance and audit leaders now cite technology as their top risk concern — well ahead of economic factors (33%) and tariffs (23%). Yet despite this urgency, only 29% of organizations have comprehensive AI governance plans in place.”
Although there’s currently no wide-scale governing body to write and enforce these rules, many technology companies have adopted their own version of AI ethics or an AI code of conduct.
AI ethics are the set of guiding principles that stakeholders (from engineers to government officials) use to ensure artificial intelligence technology is developed and used responsibly. This means taking a safe, secure, humane, and environmentally friendly approach to AI.
A strong AI code of ethics can include avoiding bias, ensuring privacy of users and their data, and mitigating environmental risks. Codes of ethics in companies and government-led regulatory frameworks are two main ways that AI ethics can be implemented.
By covering global and national ethical AI issues, and laying the policy groundwork for ethical AI in companies, both approaches help regulate AI technology.
The future will see large parts of our lives influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Machines can execute repetitive tasks with complete precision, and with recent advances in AI, machines are gaining the ability to learn, improve and make calculated decisions in ways that will enable them to perform tasks previously thought to rely on human experience, creativity, and ingenuity.
“AI innovation will be central to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by capitalizing on the unprecedented quantities of data now being generated on sentiment behavior, human health, commerce, communications, migration and more” according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) documents.
ITU said it will provide a neutral platform for government, industry and academia to build a common understanding of the capabilities of emerging AI technologies and consequent needs for technical standardization and policy guidance.
“Countries must put in conscious efforts to mitigate the dangers of deployment if they want to achieve positive results.” ITU said.
AI governance is calculated to Prevent bias whereby AI models can inherit biases from training data, leading to unfair hiring, lending, policing and healthcare outcomes.
The report states that Governance proactively identifies and mitigates these biases.
Aside that,AI governance Prioritizes accountability when AI makes decisions, and holds someone responsible.
Governance holds humans accountable for AI-driven actions, preventing harm from automated decision-making.
Price WaterhouseCooper (PwC),s Head of AI Public Policy and Ethics,Maria Axente was quoted as saying that “We need to be thinking, ‘What AI do we have in the house, who owns it and who’s ultimately accountable?’”
AI governance should Protect privacy and security where AI relies on vast amounts of data, a particular risk for healthcare and financial organizations handling sensitive information.
Governance establishes guidelines for data protection, encryption and ethical use of personal information.
Governance Prepares for AI’s
environmental, social and governance (ESG)
impact.
“Generative AI has a significant environmental impact, requiring massive amounts of electricity and water for every query. It also reshapes job markets and corporate operations.”Governance helps create policies that balance AI’s opportunities with its ESG risks and by Promoting transparency and trust,Many AI systems are considered “black boxes” with little insight into their decision-making.
Governance encourages transparency and helps users trust and interpret AI outcomes.
Governance Balances innovation and risk as AI holds immense potential for progress in healthcare, finance and education, governance weighs innovation alongside possible ethical considerations and public harm.
As the future of AI becomes a way of life,global telecommunications regulators,the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) says Geneva ,Switzerland is fast becoming the global headquarters for AI.
From July 7 through 10,2026 the world will converge to deliberate and conclude talks on AI governance.
It will host the seventh edition of “AI for good summit” as governments,institutions crystallize strategies for the future of AI across industries,homes ,governments and the work place.
“AI for Good will be held back-to-back with the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, convened by the United Nations General Assembly and facilitated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at Palexpo from July 6 to 7, where the Global Dialogue is supported by a joint secretariat that include the Executive Office of the Secretary General, ITU, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), with ITU and UNESCO leading the coordination.
“As artificial intelligence moves from strategy to real-world deployment, countries need the skills, solutions, and international standards for AI to work for everyone,” according to ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
“Through AI for Good, ITU helps turn AI breakthroughs into practical ways to improve lives. We are also pleased to work with our partners on the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance where Member States and stakeholders will exchange perspectives on the policies shaping AI’s future.”
The AI for Good Global Summit to be hosted by ITU – the United Nations agency for digital technologies – with over 50 UN partners and co-convened by Switzerland is seen as the Summit flagship platform for showcasing and helping scale up AI applications in areas from healthcare and education to food security, disaster risk reduction and misinformation, particularly in developing countries.
World-class keynotes, global technology premieres and an expo floor filled with innovators, UN partners and national pavilions will present local AI solutions and strategies from around the world, including special exhibits featuring home-grown innovations from Switzerland.
“We are delighted to once again co-convene with ITU the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, a central location for discussing and showcasing advances in artificial intelligence,” said Albert Rösti, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication.
The summit will Unite leaders to scale AI impact.
Over 11,000 participants from 169 countries attended 2025 AI for Good Global Summit and World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) events.
Participation included ministers from 100 countries, more than half representing developing countries.
The 2026 edition aims to further strengthen AI for Good as a globally representative platform for dialogue, collaboration, and action on AI and how to best harness the innovative power of technology.
While many tech companies grow the artificial intelligence in their various corners of the world,the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ,the global technology regulator,is rearing to unify the technology in such ways as to create standards for open platform.

In a few months,tech gurus will converge on Geneva,the ITU headquarters in Switzerland to strategize on the way forward for Artificial Intelligence for Good.“The goal of AI for Good is to identify practical applications of AI to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and connect AI innovators with public and private-sector decision-makers to help scale up AI solutions globally.”according to the ITU.

In 2017 ,the landmark AI for Good Global Summit marked the beginning of a global dialogue on the potential of AI to act as a force for good. The action-oriented 2018 and 2019 summits gave rise to numerous AI for Good projects including several standardisation initiatives of the ITU

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

BY BOLAJI AFOLABI

Wednesday April 8, a few minutes to six in the evening, while putting final preparations to a three-day trip, the phone beeped. First thought; it could be an advisory from friends or family members on the need for vigilance as a result of the shenanigans perpetrated by notorious bandits on major highways across the country. How wrong! The WhatsApp message was an invite from the irrepressible, inimitable Dapo Olorunyomi – fondly called Dapsy, and Uncle Dapsy by friends, colleagues, and mentees. The carefully worded, simple looking but aesthetically beautiful card was to attend a Symposium in honour of Dr. Chido Onumah; a serial award winner, versatile journalist, rights activist, published author on his 60th birthday. Though the writer does not have any personal relationship with the celebrant, but to have Olorunyomi as the Chief Host speaks volumes about the credibility, integrity, and stewardship of Onumah.

The clash of the timings of both events – Onumah’s and the trip, was not a good discovery by the writer. Thoughts of missing out on an occasion that will see the convergence of heroes and heroines of civil society and journalism; who as true activists and professionals sacrificed selflessly for democracy and good governance in the ’80s and ’90s, was painful. Given the importance of the trip, one had to communicate to Olorunyomi reason for not attending the unique event. Though not physically present, the coverage of proceedings by national newspapers, electronic media, and numerous online media platforms was useful. Perhaps, the choice of a national discourse to celebrate an ideologue who, for over three decades has weaved every of his life odysseys on fairness, probity, justice, ethics, and morality is fitting and proper.

William Shakespeare, in one of his timeless books, ‘Hamlet’ wrote; “this above all, to thine own self be true.” Here, humanity is advised to be honest, truthful, and pursue self-dignity. Indeed, honesty with oneself provides light and equanimity. From the testimonials of people, this encapsulates Onumah; who pursues wholeheartedly whatever he believes in, and stays focused even if he is the last man standing. Conscious that honesty is a wealth that doesn’t wither with time, as it attracts respect, trust, and belief from people, he clothes himself with these virtues which brings greatness. In many ways, his attributes, activities, and contributions to life and humanity confirm Shakespeare’s words in ‘Twelfth Night’ that, “be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” No doubt, with the right attitude, hard work, and fidelity, Onumah has achieved greatness in diverse ways.

From reports, the symposium, themed, “Formation or Nation Building: Nigeria’s Quest for a Modern Federal Republic” which took place at the historical Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, was graced by many notable personalities from the media, academics, public service, and politics from far and near. Comments by many people attested to his unwavering commitment to the attainment of good governance, and unrestrained passion for national development. His loyalty to friendship and relationships were variously highlighted. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, who was the Special Guest of Honour said, “Chido is special and means a lot to me. He was part of my life at the most critical moments, and (he) went through the most difficult period with me.” His Excellency, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State, who chaired the event, acknowledged Onumah’s sacrificial, and consistent contributions to the fights against military rulership, and the country’s struggles for democracy.

Generally described as a people’s man who is largely accessible, reliable, and dependable, Onumah is deeply loved for his courage, commitment, and consistency in pursuing noble causes that will improve the general well-being of the people. Imbued with an uncommon indomitable spirit, he is a perfect exemplar of true social activism built on principles, high moral standards, and selflessness – million miles different from what we have these days. Without a doubt, he remains one of the best, and has carved an enviable niche for himself as the compass for assessing activists in Nigeria. Not driven by pecuniary benefits, showmanship, and human accolades, his penchant for cross-fertilization of ideas, and public discourse; at all times geared towards ensuring national cohesion, growth, and development remains unequivocal. This may have further informed the choice of a symposium to mark his landmark birthday.

Onumah’s professional resume, human interests-driven calling, and development engagements are replete with qualitative services within the country, in Africa, Europe, and the United States of America. As a journalist, though he started out with The Guardian newspapers, Onumah, at various times was at Sentinel Magazine – late Dr. Stanley Macebuh was the Managing Director; The News Magazine; AM News; Thisday Newspapers; Weekly Insight, Ghana, as the Associate Editor; Africanews Service, Kenya; and African Observer, New York, USA. For decades, Onumah has emerged as a prominent figure, and major voice in media and information literacy.

As the Co-ordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) – he has been able to promote media literacy to foster democracy, accountability, good governance, and combat misinformation in Africa through research,advocacy, and training programmes. To expand the frontiers of excellence, he co-founded the Media & Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation, with special emphasis on media literacy in governance and education. Through AFRICMIL, and the Yar’Adua Foundation, Onumah launched the Corruption Anonymous (CORA); a whistleblowing platform to facilitate anonymous reporting and bolster accountability in governance.

Given his passion for good governance, Onumah, through the Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition of West Africa (WACOWA); and the Advocacy for Whistleblowers Protection Laws has covered parts of the continent. Appreciable mileage has been achieved towards regional cooperation on whistleblower protection; adopting the policy as a veritable instrument for exposing crimes; and deepening governance across Africa. Similarly, Onumah’s broad-based advocacy and activism are well documented through his involvement with numerous bodies such as the West African Human Rights Committee (WAHRC); Pan-African Alliance for Media and Information Literacy (PAMIL); Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL); Whistleblowing International Network (WIN); United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the Panos Institute, USA.

Indeed, Onumah’s decades-long involvement, contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey, and the emplacement of probity in the public service deserves mention. He functioned as the Head, Civil Society Unit; and Coordinator, Fix Nigeria Initiative at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under the Chairmanship of Ribadu. He, among other things contributed to drafting templates that translated international anti-corruption laws into accessible tools for citizens; collaboration with various groups on integrity and accountability; training of journalists in investigative reporting; and workshops for judges, law enforcement agencies, and the media.

His varied contributions to the media, human rights, democracy, and good governance has earned him several local and global recognitions including the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy Awards; William C. Heine Fellowship for International Media Studies; Jerry Rogers Writing Award; and the Clement Mwale Prize for Courage. Despite his busy schedules, Onumah has authored some books including Time To Reclaim Nigeria; Nigeria Is Negotiable; and We Are All Biafrans. Many of his friends, colleagues, and associates applaud his de-tribalized credentials; described as a true nationalist. Born on the 10th of April, 1966, Onumah attended the Army Children School, Apapa; and Awori Ajeromi Grammar School, Lagos. He graduated from the University of Calabar with a B.A Philosophy. He earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Journalism, and Communications & Journalism at the University of Ontario, Canada, and the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, respectively.

* BOLAJI AFOLABI, a Development Communications specialist was with the Office of Public Affairs, The Presidency, Abuja.