By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), Professor Muhammed Isa Kida, has called for the deployment of technology to fight insecurity in the country.
Professor Kida stated this during his first Media Chat with Journalists in his Office recently, where he called for a strategic deployment of modern technology to combat growing insecurity and misinformation around university campuses.
Prof. Kida told the gathering of media representatives and executives that digital publishers, online newspaper owners, bloggers and professional content creators that the world has changed dramatically and the university system can no longer afford to operate with old methods of communication while criminals and mischief makers are dominating the digital space.
According to him, the power of social media in the contemporary world is overwhelming and must be harnessed for positive purposes, because a single message can reach more than one billion people in less than a second, a reach that no traditional town crier or notice board can ever achieve.
“In a split second, more than one billion people will see it. Do you know that if you select one billion people in a group and you send information, they will all see it at the same time, in less than a second? That is how powerful this social media is,” the VC stated.
He explained that this reality is the reason why the university management has decided to deliberately tilt its operations towards technology and to galvanize its communication strategy to align with modern information technology propagation methods, if it truly wants to counter threats and excel.
The Vice-chancellor stressed that turning our backs on technology is no longer an option, adding that any institution that wants to remain relevant and secure its community must adjust, adapt and align with the digital revolution that is already reshaping society.
He disclosed that the university will be relying heavily on the news media, particularly digital media, new media, online newspapers, blogs and professional content creators, to drive this new approach to security awareness and public enlightenment.
Prof. Kida expressed deep concern that people who are not even trained in the journalism profession are the ones taking full advantage of this technology, and regrettably, some students are also exploring the same technology negatively, creating content that is capable of causing panic and disaffection.
He noted that the university has observed with dismay that the trend is going haywire, where individuals now convert their small rooms into full broadcasting studios by simply padding the walls, planting a microphone and a camera on their handset, and going live to the world.
The Vice-Chancellor emphasized that the university cannot continue to watch helplessly while its image and the safety of its students are compromised on the digital space, hence the need for a deliberate partnership with credible media houses who have the professional capacity to counter false narratives.
He said the engagement with the media marks the beginning of a new chapter in the university’s effort to secure its campuses, stressing that security is no longer just about physical gates and guards, but also about controlling the narrative in the digital space.
He therefore appealed to all media stakeholders to join hands with the university management in its quest to use technology to protect students, teachers and the larger society from the dangers of misinformation and insecurity.