On Tuesday, in Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, the Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, fielded questions from press men, after reeling out his plans for the year 2025.
Techparley correspondent, Mikhail Abdulhameed, is live at the event, and will constantly update this post with developments and timestamps as they unfold. Keep reading.
10:40am — We are leveraging technology to address insecurity in the country
The minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has stated that his ministry is working to leverage technology to address insecurity in the country as part of plans to upgrade the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), a government paramilitary agency saddled with the protection of critical national infrastructure.
The Minister, Tuesday, disclosed this while addressing press men at a media parley held at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.
According to the Tunji-Ojo, technology must play a role in protecting lives and property, with the NSCDC serving as an active organ.
“We will deploy technology in the protection of our critical national assets. It’s a global world, today, and we must capitalise on our strength. Technology is a big strength in the modern world. At the Ministry, we are working to see how we can plug into this system that provides enhanced surveillance operations.
Last year, we recorded success with our Mining Marshal initiative, and we believe we can do better this year, especially by leveraging technology to gather data and insights,” he said.
9:00am —Interior Minister to address press on plans for the new year 2025
The minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is set to address the public on his plan for the year 2025.
The Minister, Tuesday, will address press men at a media parley that will feature top management officers and heads of agencies.
Heads of government parastatals from the Interior Ministry expected at the function include the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani; Secretary, CICFIB.
Others include the Commandant General, National security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Audi Abubakar; Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap; Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Olola Jaji; and Acting Controller General, Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche.
Themed: “Plans and Proposals for 2025 and Beyond,” journalists will have the opportunity to seek clarification on pressing and anticipated issues around the ministry’s mandate on fostering internal security, and protecting citizenship integrity.
About the Ministry
The Ministry of Interior was created in 2015 following a merger between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Police Affairs. It is a Federal Government Organ which evolved from the Ministry of Internal Affairs which was created in 1957.
It came as a result of the merger of various Departments and Units of Government over the years. Some of its components like Prisons were pulled out from the defunct Native Authorities of the Federation; other arms of it, like the Immigration Service, came from the old Nigeria Police Force while other units were previously in the office of the Secretary of State in the Colonial days.
About Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nigeria’s incumbent and youngest Minister of Interior, is a distinguished ICT professional and infrastructural development expert with over 17 years of experience in project and strategy management in both the private and public sector.
For nearly two (2) decades, Dr. Tunji-Ojo practiced as an IT development expert, holding various positions, including CEO of an indigenous consulting company, Matrix IT Solutions Limited, which he attained at the remarkable age of 24. His expertise on how to deploy technological innovations to enhance operations covers critical sectors such as Oil and Gas, Health, Agriculture, Research, Finance, Management, Manufacturing, Education and Logistics.
As an industry leader, and a widely sought-after expert, he consulted for top government and international institutions including the World Bank, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), National Health Insurance Scheme, Abuja (NHIS), Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, among others.
In 2023, Nigeria ended a passport crisis that had become a national embarrassment where applicants had to wait for months unending by the launch of a strategic reform that led to the implementation of passport automation process such that human contact, that had allowed corruption to feaster within the system, was drastically reduced.
The reform also saw the development of a centralised dashboard where every passport application can be closely monitored and queried within stipulated timelines, putting officers on their toes to either deliver or get sanctioned. The innovation has now become a global talking point with the United States of America going ahead to understudy and implementing same for its country after an engagement with Dr. Tunji-Ojo and team in 2024.
