Fortification of Policing in Nigeria Using ICT Backbone for Strategic Competitive Advantage

Abstract

This chapter discusses fortification of policing in Nigeria leveraging information communication and technology (ICT) backbone for strategic competitive advantage. The need to embrace ICT-enhanced policing in Nigeria becomes imperative because insecurity, robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, and insurgency have taken a new dimension and have gone sophisticated as criminal elements have deployed high-tech approach such as mobile technology and internet technology for exploiting and unleashing criminal activities on the society. To reduce incessant and unpleasant proliferation of modern crime, the situation calls for the fortification of existing policing approach in Nigeria using information communication technologies. This exploratory study is an attempt at strengthening the traditional policing approach to be able to meet the insecurity challenges currently being faced and facing the society. The implication of the study is that the incidences of insecurity, terrorism, and insurgency can effectively be rendered prostrate and managed in effectively through the use and application of ICT. Notably among the proposal for an ICT-enhanced policing is the concept of virtual community policing that explores the availability of mobile devices for easy and effective crime reporting and crime control in Nigeria.