…as NANS intensifies campaign against anti-education mindset

By Adeola Badru 

The Provost of the Federal College of Forestry, Jericho, Ibadan, Dr Ibrahim Lawal, has called on the Federal Government to deploy artificial intelligence, drones and other surveillance technologies to secure Nigeria’s forests against criminal activities, warning that effective monitoring is critical to tackling the growing wave of kidnappings and insecurity.

Lawal made the call yesterday during a ceremony held at the institution to celebrate an alumnus, Comrade John Alao, who was recently inaugurated as the National Financial Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The event also featured the presentation of cash awards to students who graduated with distinction and merit awards to outstanding lecturers of the college. 

The awards, facilitated by Alao, were sponsored by the Special Guest of Honour, Ambassador David Oluwademilade.

Addressing the gathering, the Provost urged Nigerian youths to embrace hard work, resilience and dedication to education, stressing that these values remain essential to making their alma mater and the nation proud.

He also commended the leadership of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal College of Forestry and the national leadership of NANS for demonstrating innovation and creativity in student leadership.

“Leadership is about innovation and creativity, and I believe in a kind of leadership that can create and a kind of creativity that can lift the nation,” Lawal said.

He further praised the National Financial Secretary of NANS, John Alao, for his commitment to advancing education and supporting academic excellence within the institution.

Speaking on the rising insecurity across the country, particularly the abduction of students by kidnappers who often operate from forests, Lawal said the government must engage forestry professionals and adopt modern surveillance systems to deny criminal elements safe havens.

“The only thing I would say about the Federal Government and the abduction, when you are talking about putting them inside the forest, is just to make sure that we have a proper monitoring team within our forests, with a very good surveillance system, using a drone, using AI adopted strategy, to make sure that all our forests and environment are well surveyed.” 

“To make sure that all these people coming to live inside our forests cannot have their place to stay again. With this surveillance, I think we can be able to manage. But forest is very key and very important,” he said.

Also speaking, the NANS National Financial Secretary, John Alao, urged students across the country to reject the growing narrative that education is a scam, insisting that education remains the bedrock of leadership, national development and personal success.

He disclosed that the current NANS leadership under its National President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Akinteye, had commenced a nationwide campus-to-campus sensitisation campaign aimed at reorienting students on the importance of education.

“To Nigerian students, they need to be consistent. Consistency is key. Consistency helped me this far. I believe solely in the Three Ds – Dedication, Determination and Decision within myself that I can be whatever I choose to be,” Alao said.

The NANS National Financial Secretary revealed that the association had begun mobilising support for students across the federation, adding that a philanthropist had donated N1 million to reward students who graduated with distinction.

He further announced that the association would visit Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where students and teachers were recently abducted, to provide educational materials, school uniforms, sandals and textbooks as part of efforts to support affected learners.

Alao also called on governments at all levels to adopt proactive security measures, noting that students continue to bear a significant burden of the country’s worsening insecurity.

“When we are talking about security, it starts from every one of us. Are we being cautious of our environments? When you see things, say it.” 

“My advice to the Federal Government is to be more proactive because most times, victims of all these ugly incidents are Nigerian students. In any ugly happenings in Nigeria today, you would find 15 per cent of students within the caucus,” he said.