Here's a signal and a tip for Our Goodluck President, if He's ready to rule,

Identity crisis: Who really are Nigerians?
By Emmanuel Elebeke
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Experts highlight nation’s identity management crisis at CTO 2010; challenge govt on central database


File photo by Biodun Ogunleye shows people at a public event in the Lagos area. Is anybody sure they are NIgerians, or Ghanaians, or Rwandans, or, ?


Way back in 2001, a small group of ICT experts paid a visit to the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Aso Rock and right inside his cozy office, a little poser was presented to him to prove if he was a true Nigerian.


The former president weighed the option for a minute before giving answers. Not that the answers technically speaking, proved anything, but atleast nobody can deny the first citizen the right to be a citizen of the country he is ruling.


Incidentally the question was neither posed to ridicule the president nor to clear any doubt about the former president’s citizenship but it was presented as a test case to the dangers of not having a dependable central database system in a country.


Obviously if it could take the president some time to convince his visitors, of his citizenship, it wouldn’t be surprising if he approved that a central data system be put in place. But like everything Nigerian, all efforts the former president put in place to see that Nigeria has a dependable data system, budgets and other bureaucratic bottlenecks has not allowed Nigeria the opportunity.


Now the ability to give a hard knock to insecurity and identity problems facing the country at the moment, may determine how serious Nigeria is in pursuing the dreams of becoming one of the top twenty economies in the world by the year 2020. At least that was the least of the problems Managing Director of Charms Plc, Demola Aladekomo said must be tackled if the vision 2020 dream would not turn out a huge joke.


Aladekomo at the ongoing 2010 Computer, Technology and Office equipment exhibition narrated the earlier story to draw home the importance of a central data system in a country like Nigeria.


He said that Nigeria being one of the few importers of steel and other electronic gadgets, there was a great danger to the safety of the nation, going by the huge population, unless a central data system is put in place to ascertain the true identity of every citizen of the country.


He argued that Nigeria cannot talk about security without knowing who the citizens are. To him, until the issue is resolved and every citizen identified through a national data system, the nation’s security system and economy will continue to be threatened by the unidentified 150 million citizens within and outside the country.


Aladekomo who spoke on the topic: Building a World Class Security Network for Nigeria said because Nigeria lacks basic security backbone with deficient security personnel to tackle both internal and external security problems of the country, issues of impersonation, child trafficking, drug trafficking, financial transaction fraud, illegal immigration will still pose serious threats to the country, and described impersonation as massive security concern. He then called for a local solution to check the trend, as according to him, the solution need to be sourced locally to suit the massive issues of security confronting the nation.


“دmpersonation is a massive concern. The solution need to be local to suit the massive issues of our local security problems. Foreign solutions can’t solve them,” he pointed out.


The Charms MD also said the nation’s law enforcement agencies had remained blind because they lack the skill and basic security training to detect fraud. Developing effective security network in Nigeria starts with the unique identification of citizens and the creation of citizens and creation of a net database. He described the 150 million Nigeria population as a calamity waiting to happen if nothing is done to identify their true identity.


Earlier in his presentation, the Director, Business Development, Science Applications International Corporation, Robert Langlois said CTO had been beneficial to both small and medium enterprises that brings speedy growth to the economy. He emphasized the importance of security in nation building and economic development, adding that uniting security and commerce is required for meaning development.


He reinstated the need for Nigeria to join hands in the fight against terrorism and other related crime, saying that no nation can progress in the presence of crime and terrorism. He also challenged the security agencies, especially those at the border posts to intensify efforts at finding out what comes into the country


Speeking on the topic “Our experience Managing Corporate Security in Nigeria” the regional Certification representative, American Society for Industrial security, Dr. Ona Ekhomu said security has become part of decision making process that must be pursued with every seriousness for Nigeria to achieve safe society and economic growth.


To him, the future will be better when everybody join hands to fight national security, as according to him, money does not go where there is violence. While calling on the private sector to partner with government, Ekhumo said “Security is no longer for government alone, but everybody’s duty that must be fulfilled if we desire to have peaceful society and developed economy”.

This article is a good message, and even one of starting points for a leader that's ready to tackle Nigeria problems, i.e. Security and Management. Also, it is a solution to Nigeria incessant Population Census and Electoral Systems problems. And, mind you, with security in place, there's great hope for Nigeria becoming a huge economic country because it will surely discover its unknown treasures, which will heighten the nation's GDP proportion. These cool and well talented citizens of this nation will also discover themselves. Accurate wealth distribution will be hopeful. Lucid information of every citizen will be accessible while rational criteria will be seen to for citizenship cases; immigration and nationality.

     Nobody denies that Security and Power problems are in tandem, but impersonation problems, as a result of dearth of security mechanism, mess up quite often, in and outside the country. The illus at Billy Eko's case (A Cameroonian, who hurdled to Nigerian Army climax, retired, later became a pilot and alleged of Drug trafficking, the case in the '80s). Several of this is happening abroad, whereby a holder of a Nigerian Passport (who can't speak any of the Nigerian languages) brought to Nigerian Consulate for criminal case. Also a holder of a Nigerian Passport (trained and speaks Nigerian langs. with vivid mien of suburb nations) brought to Nigerian Consulate for a hardened criminal case, or even maneouvring crimes inside Nigeria.

           Another trend that is challenging the Nigeria security is GSM technology. Assuming, a GSM agent claiming unawareness of a crime committed through its line. See me, see trouble o!  It dears say so because the National Security Network is not in place, or corrupt.  In a clear understanding, it is duly a bloody task of every GSM agents to comply and sign that all security leakages or insecurity acts through its lines must be responsible for, or forget its existence in Nigeria. This is because of the input they partake in Information and Communication Network Systems.

         In short, this Central Database costs FG no hassle. It is a matter of designation; imploring DB experts. It is far easier to accomplish than Power, and it will even help and pave way for Power solution.

wonderful poser but how do you go about this when you have a sizable of the Parasitic elites ready to send in their army of looters.

The best way is to use the organic entry of what is called Nigeria. This is what can be done.

You can divide Nigeria into 12 data Zones.

In each Zone give Authority to one data company to manage data. The companies will be licensed to sell data to

1) Companies that want to hire
2) Police or other investigating bodies
3) Banks for credits
4) universities
5) foreign organisations and embassies.



Another way of doing this is to use the universities. The universities can be used as data points Zones. The universities can also earn money through the 5 ways I have listed above.

To directly use the federal government you will see all kinds of budgets that will make you run. Make it a business thing rather than a government thing. Data base people know what to do with little money. If you use federal government people will start to give very astronomical estimates. You will regret it and the same people will call you thief if you dont dance to their ways.

Run away from inflated contracts and Let the people to use this to make money for themselves. Government should just make the rules and atmosphere for a DATABASE REVOLUTION.

The Charms MD also said the nation’s law enforcement agencies had remained blind because they lack the skill and basic security training to detect fraud.

   You see this is the root of everything. Once the law is not in place, we will continue beating about the bush. The elements that form security mechanisms are many and we must start from somewhere. The cheapest of it all, I think, is this database we are talking about, but when they put everything on 'Quotation' now, one will blame himself for raising the issue. No matter zone or base they use, when they start extorting now, the whole data will disorganize along the way.
     But let's try to be optimistic about it all if Pres. Goodluck is ready to dance this way. I could see that people are there to sort out with them easily. May their way be through.

Very interesting thread.

Faith crisis in adolescence in the light of Erick Ericksons psychological theory
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/philosophy/faith-crisis-in-adolescence-in-the-light-of-erick-ericksons-psychological-theory/

Lovely write up.
No central database, no housing numbering system, no nothing.

Yet the NIMC is issuing ID cards with stupid features like being able to redraw from your ATM. Cards that cannot be used to trace the owners.

Yet we have a government, we cannot move forward as a country without an effective identity database management system. So many unconsolidated records - Immigration, population commission, NIMC, Inec, etc.

There was a country. Nigeria is a failed state.