The use of facial recognition within surveillance systems is gaining a lot of traction locally, especially in secure environments such as border posts, as well as platinum- and gold mines where these systems protect employees against illegal miners and the mines themselves from product theft.

THE first time we met was sometime in 1988 soon after his youth service under the National Youth Service Corps’ compulsory programme for young graduates, which prepares them for the challenges of our society away from the infatuations of the academic environment where dreams are generated and views of the reality of society are mostly in conflict with the facts of the decadence of our own society.

I NEVER gave a thought to the idea that I could be a teacher. But teach I did when I could not secure a job years after completing my national service. For five years, I did the little I could in preparing young minds for post-tertiary institution examinations. Until journalism took me away from the classroom, I derived great pleasure in seeing those young faces look up to me almost in awe as I impacted knowledge on them.

As Africans in America, no one can tell our own stories like we live it. Other people may read about Africa, visit Africa or do business in Africa, but no one can represent us like ourselves. Although there are huge different ethnic groups, cultures and countries, Africa has unique values that have not yet been told in a balanced perspective by the Western media, thus the birth of the Yaba TV Show.

I JOIN in the tributes to Professor Wole Soyinka at 80, not necessarily because he is a genius. It is more because like Nelson Mandela, he is a courageous humanist with a compassion for the weak who wields enormous moral authority. Unlike Mandela, but like Mahatma Ghandi, he earned this without holding formal political office.

EVERY nation takes her security very seriously. The only difference being the degree of investments, which vary according to individual experiences and circumstances.

Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan took the bull by the horn by appending his signature on the Pension Bill which was recently passed into law by the two chambers of the National Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Tattoo, according to Wikipedia, is a form of body modification made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment.

GOVERNOR Sule Lamido of Jigawa recently said that full flight operations will begin on July 14 at the Dutse International Airport.

ONE beautiful thing about this Baba from Owu in Abeokuta, General Aremu Okikiola Olusegun Obasanjo, is that he has answers to all questions. It is not always that Uncle ‘Sege’ waits for you to ask that question agitating your mind. He knows what your question is most likely to be so he gives you the answer while you are still meditating about what exactly you want to ask. That is “Baba” for you.

ABOUT this time last year, I was in America for three months. It was both a business and professional trip. I visited family members and met with both business associates and ministry partners.

OUT-GOING (?) Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, might have effectively made a tacit admission: his February 2013 African Cup of Nations victory came only through sheer luck and providence. He came on board in November 2011 promoting the usual Nigerian football musical chart-buster starring the weather-beaten title track, “Building a New Team.”

WHEN the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, took on a generation of Yoruba Obas, and called them – of all things – worthless, he must have thought little of the consequences of his statement. Tinubu’s statement at the 80th birthday of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, was not the first time the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would denigrate leaders and institutions of the Yoruba race.

THE Church is not just a superstructure or building for Christian public worship. It is the Body of Christ- a universal ecumenical collectivity of Salvation Armies dedicated to professing, evangelising and possessing the “Spirit of the Word” of God through Jesus Christ. The élan and verve of the Church is hallmarked by the move of the Holy Spirit and Divine afflatus with Christ as its primus interpares.

WITH over 21 years cognate experience in banking, pension, manufacturing and trading, when he found himself in the position of Chairman of the Board of Ashaka Cement, AshakaCem, he knew he is now a global player in an industry with a market size estimated to hit $394,553 million dollars by 2016.