News
Experts Push for Artificial Intelligence to Curb Terrorism, Banditry
Experts in the technology, maritime and shipping sectors have called for the adoption of artificial intelligence in the fight against terrorism and to address the challenges posed by country’s porous borders, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.
Intelligent agent is a technology that perceives happenings in its environment and takes actions based on the imputed data and solely based on reasoning, knowledge, planning, learning, communication, perception and the ability to move. It is capable of manipulating matter in a jiffy.
Peter Asolo, a technological expert said that artificial intelligence should form the primary focus of the federal, states and local government.
This he said must start with proper census and issuance of security code/number to every Nigerian adding that artificial intelligence is principal in tackling the terror attacks and other security threats in the country.
“It entails the packaging of the whole thing about every Nigerian and bundling them into technology that enables you to patrol some places like the borders, difficult terrains and water ways,” Asolo said.
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) estimated that there are no less than 1, 300 ‘illegal’ points of entry into Nigeria and that the nation’s borders were still very porous.
Hamman Abdullahi Yerima, Kaduna State comptroller of the NIS, while deporting 49 illegal immigrants from Kaduna State to Niger Republic, said that Nigeria’s borders still harbor more illegal migrants.
Only recently, security agencies in Northern Nigeria fingered porous borders as the channels through which the gunmen that massacred innocent people at a village in Zamfara State recently came from.
Alhaji Aminu Dabo, former managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), advised President Goodluck Jonathan to pay more attention to the nation’s borders if security challenges must be tackled squarely.
He said that crimes like armed robbery, human trafficking, smuggling and terrorism, are besetting the nation today as a result of the porous borders.
But Asolo, cautioned that manning the border is not taking the vehicle to run to and fro at the borders like the security agents have been doing.
“In developed countries, when one is seen around the border, he is called “hello, Mr A, where are you coming from. Probably, he said he was coming from the farm down there. “Really, what is your name? Can I see your ID?”
Then, he replies, “I am a farmer and do not have an ID”. The law enforcement agent will just dole out his artificial intelligent (gadget) and verify his finger print.
“The machine goes through the over 156 million people in the database we have and in less than 5 minutes he can detect if the person is a Nigerian or not. If it does not match any, then the person is an alien; in other words, you are not known to us, he has a case to answer. But today, we cannot do that. We must put the fundamentals on ground to tackle security.
He added that Nigeria’s population is growing too fast and the implications are scary if artificial intelligence is not embraced.
News
TikTok Returns on Apple, Google US App Stores as Trump Delays Ban

TikTok returned to the U.S. app stores of Apple and Google on Thursday as President Donald Trump delayed a ban on the Chinese-owned social media app and assured the tech giants they would not be fined for distributing or maintaining it.
The popular short video app used by nearly half of all Americans went dark briefly last month, before a law took effect on January 19 that requires its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban.
The following day, Trump signed an executive order seeking to delay the enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue its operations in the U.S. temporarily.
Although TikTok resumed service after Trump’s assurances, Google and Apple kept the app removed from their U.S. app stores.
TikTok, the second-most downloaded app in the U.S. last year, said on Thursday that its latest app was now available for download.
The delay could have been because Google and Apple were awaiting assurances that they would not be prosecuted for hosting or distributing the app, according to analysts.
Trump’s directive said the companies, which run mobile application stores or digital marketplaces where users can browse, download and update apps, would not face penalties for keeping the TikTok app up and running.
TikTok had more than 52 million downloads in 2024, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
About 52% of its total downloads were from Apple App Store, while 48% were from Google Play in the U.S. last year, Sensor Tower said.
The law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. assets or ultimately face a ban was signed by then President Joe Biden last April, triggered by national security concerns and fears that China could use the video-sharing app to spy on American users.
The U.S. has never banned a major social media platform and the law that passed last year gives the government sweeping authority to ban or seek the sale of other Chinese-owned apps. Trump said on Thursday that his 75-day deadline on TikTok could be extended.
The turmoil at TikTok attracted several potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who have expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion.
Trump has said that he was in talks with multiple people over TikTok’s purchase and would likely have a decision on the app’s future in February.
News
FG Order MDAs to Close Commercial Banks’ Accounts, Enforce TSA Policy

Federal government has directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) operating in states to close their accounts with commercial banks and fully comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the Federation,
The directive was issued by Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the Federation, during a working visit to the Federal Pay Office in Benin, Edo State.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday by Bawa Mokwa, director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the TSA policy, Madein warned that no MDA should operate accounts with commercial banks unless expressly approved by the President and officially communicated by her office.
The statement reads:
“While reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the Treasury Single Account policy, the Accountant-General of the Federation urged the Federal Pay Officers to monitor and ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the States do not operate any account with the commercial banks or circumvent any provision of the TSA policy.”
She further stressed that any exceptions must follow strict guidelines, requiring presidential approval and formal communication from the Office of the Accountant-General.
Madein also tasked Federal Pay Officers (FPOs) with ensuring compliance, upholding transparency, and maintaining professionalism in their financial operations.
She warned against actions that could undermine the integrity of the Federal Treasury and emphasized the need for accurate financial record-keeping.
As part of ongoing reforms, she revealed that the Federal Government is constructing new Federal Pay Offices in some states to address infrastructure and operational challenges.
She assured that her office remains committed to the welfare of its personnel while enforcing compliance with financial regulations, including the Public Procurement Act and the Constitution.
Her visit to the Benin Federal Pay Office was part of a nationwide tour to assess the operations and challenges of Federal Pay Offices across the country.
News
NBRDA Investigates Biocatalysts for Bioethanol Production

National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) is investigating the development of biocatalysts from underutilised bioresources through its Young Researchers Forum (YRF) research group for bioethanol production.
Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, director general, NBRDA sated this in an interview conducted in Abuja on Wednesday
Biocatalysts, which can be either bacteria or enzymes, are biological entities that accelerate chemical reactions.
An alcohol-based fuel derived from renewable resources such as plants and algae is called bioethanol. It can be blended with petrol or used in place of it to cut down on petroleum use.
He asserted that bioethanol is crucial and that Nigeria has the means to fully investigate its possibilities, noting that the production of bioethanol will be helpful in setting up bioethanol plants.
“However, the catalyst for the fermentation of sugar to produce ethanol is what we are after, and we have it locally.
“When we isolate the biocatalyst, it is going to be useful in helping to establish a bioethanol factory, which will function very well due to our varying weather conditions,’’ he said.
Bioethanol has similar uses to fuels used to generate other classes of energy like heat, motor power, transportation, and electricity, the NBRDA chief added.
According to him, bioethanol is the most widely used biofuel in modern civilisation, and the process of turning biomass into bioethanol is receiving a lot of attention.
“Biological energies are renewable fuels with minimal pollution and play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas pollution, and one of them is bioethanol, which is obtained from fermentation operations.
“The world’s attention to the use of bioethanol as an energy source is focused on reducing the cost of production and increasing the efficiency of the ethanol industry.
“By consuming ethanol fuel instead of fossil fuels, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions known to be the cause of global warming will be somehow reduced,’’ Mustapha said.
According to the D-G, the creation of the Young Researchers Forum (YRF) demonstrates the agency’s efforts to support nation-building.
He added that young biotech innovators chosen from across the agency’s departments will use the conference as a training ground and launching pad.
The YRF, according to Mustapha, was a manifestation of his wish to establish an institutional framework for mentoring that would close generational divides.
He stated that one of the projects the YRF would concentrate on was the development of biocatalysts for the manufacture of bioethanol.
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