Artificial intelligence if well-harnessed, has the potential to fix the nation’s intractable security problem, the Chief Strategist Global Performance Index International, George Ashiru has said.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the security expert said the current environmental and safety issues bedeviling the country can be nipped in the bud.
According to him, “Nigerians general view safety as a cost incurring exercise to business and personal life instead of a proactive accident prevention system that adds value in terms of reduction in business cost and quality of life. This former perception must change for the latter in our collective interest and benefits.”
Speaking on some of the contemporary global safety issues, he observed that chief amongst such concerns is the issue of global warming due increase in Co2 levels in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels. “The effect of this is rise in global temperature (big issue in Europe right now), rise in sea levels due melting of ice in the arctic region with the resultant flooding issues in coastal areas.”
Besides, he said, “Others are ozone layer depletion, which has resulted in increase in cancer cases, epidemics e.g. Ebola and HIV/AIDS. We are also aware that oil pollution from exploration/exploitation and transportation of crude oil, desertification especially in the Middle East and Sahel region of Africa and ground water resources depletion. These are some current global safety issues of serious concern.”
While commenting on what safety measures to stem the current global warming, he said a multiple-prong approach would suffice. “Use of electric cars, solar for power generation, gas energy to replace coal fuels and diesel engines and legislation in line with the UN climate change agenda.”
Ashiru who attempted a prognosis of the problem bedeviling the practice of health, safety and environment in the country, said all work in sync.
“Health is concerned with the prevention of diseases causing organisms and conditions that affect people/society, Safety aims to prevent hazards and hazardous conditions in the workplace/surroundings while environment aims to preserve man’s ecosystem (land, air, water and flora/fauna) in its pristine form from man’s activities that cause pollution to the ecosystem, thus all three are aimed at enhancing the welfare and wellbeing of humans.”
Considering the great importance attached to HSE, Ashiru would rather the former taken seriously. “By top management taking responsibility for HSE by providing resources, being seen on the shop floor by workers i.e. walk the talk & encouraging good safety behaviours or actions through incentive schemes and sponsoring of HSE events (like the just concluded summit). The standard of HSE culture in any organisation depends on the value Top management attaches to HSE.”
While recalling the just concluded summit facilitated by his company, the Global Performance Index International, he said, the company tried to use technology to enhance performances and productivity in organisations in the country as a whole and in Africa. “We want to be able to have global impact in terms of the way we use technology to optimise and transform organisational behavior and processes.”
Expatiating, he said, “Recently, we have been having issues with good health and safety matters in Nigeria, so at GPI we thought of how we can we use Artificial Intelligence to increase safety and health and also increase sustainability in terms of environment in Nigeria and because we are a problem solving organisation; we thought about doing a summit and bringing professionals to identify the problems. We at GPI will turn it to technology and enhance things in the country.”
