The word ‘insecurity’ has become far too familiar to Nigerians in every part of the country. For the most part of recent history, tales of insecurity like mass kidnappings, bombings, internal displacement and so on were focused in one part of the country, the North; but more recently every geographical area of our beloved country is now ravaged with one “type” of insecurity or another.
Due to this, various aspects of life have been gravely affected and forced to take the backseat to survival. For one, travelling is basically an extreme sport with kidnappers lurking around roads and train stations; worship is one mile more sacred with the added incentive of possibly losing your life on a seemingly calm Sunday morning. Hence, it has become increasingly important to improve the state of security in the country by adopting better tools and technologies alongside enhanced training to back it up. This is where Geographic Information System (GIS) can come in.
Using GIS technology, particularly its geospatial feature, it is possible to create a database of police stations in Nigeria with precise coordinates that includes regions representing the entire geographic area as well as point coordinates for each station. Every region can further be defined and assigned to either a single police officer or a patrol group -each with a personal digital map, for maximum accountability and efficiency. Therefore, security personnel and agencies will be provided the ability to plan and monitor suitable initiatives owing to the shared dashboards that will display this data.
GIS has traditionally been a tool used by highly skilled analysts and GIS professionals to pinpoint dangers, organize resource allocations, and map-out viable courses of action and backup plans. However, this group of highly skilled analysts and professionals have historically been minute, and focused in one part of the world until ‘ArcGIS’ developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
ESRI’S ArcGIS
Esri’s ArcGIS is an all-inclusive geospatial software platform that facilitates user workflows, teamwork, dynamic situational awareness, monitoring and measurement. Information for planning, responding, apprehending, mitigating, and recovering is accessible because of the technology. With the knowledge that Esri will continue to adhere to a strong and effective security framework, ArcGIS enables its users the ability to utilize the already mentioned GIS capabilities. The implementation of Esri’s ArcGIS in the fight against insecurity will not only provide Nigerian security agencies with data for improved security, but provides accurate and efficient tools for analysis on a collaborative database.
The City of London Police is a great example of this implementation, as detailed in the video below.
REAL-TIME LOCATION TECHNOLOGY
Esri’s Geographic Information System (GIS) real-time location technology provides users the resources needed in a national security operations center. The concurrent data integration gives security agencies a comprehensive perspective of any security threat as well as the insight needed to investigate the crisis before it happens, while it is going on and or afterwards. This tool will be substantially beneficial to Nigeria as majority of the security problems permeating the country could be half-solved through better technology.
To conclude, it is important to understand the essentiality of the GIS technology in different facets of life, but precisely in matters of the security of life and property. Specifically, the incorporation of this technology will help gather and integrate data for quick analysis; facilitate information models that are repeatable and transferable; upgrade assessments of risks, threats, and vulnerabilities; allow the use data derived from previous security threats to plan against possible new threats; foster people’s engagement in communal security; and finally, improve the reporting and dissemination of sensitive information.
Jamitan Tech Nig Ltd is a mapping and Geospatial Company in Nigeria that supports the implementation of collaborated technologies to bring a unique approach to the fight against insecurity within the country.
By Anaenye Lovet.
Comments
Really informative & eye opening
Thank you for your feedback. We are glad you found it informative.
In support of the motion to implement it, but with the state of our security agencies great training will be required.
We really appreciate your insight.
Great read. The current security situation in Nigeria needs such innovative solutions!
Thank you for taking time to read through, we appreciate your feedback.