A tech expert, Hanson Johnson, has called on security agencies to cease labeling young tech talents as criminals, stressing that such actions are a result of mistaken identity.
Speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday, Johnson criticized the frequent arrest and detention of young tech-savvy individuals, often referred to as “Tech Bros” and “Tech Sis,” by security operatives.
Johnson, the CEO of Start Innovation Hub (SIH), expressed concern over the failure of both society and security operatives to recognise the legitimate contributions of these young professionals to the tech industry.
He noted that the success of these individuals is often mistaken for involvement in illicit activities, leading to unwarranted harassment and unjust treatment.
Johnson stated, “Before now, wealth was seen as something you attained only after a certain age. Today, information is everywhere, and young people are using it to improve their lives.
‘’There are more intelligent ways to fetch out these people. You don’t have to harass someone to be able to identify, harass someone and jail the person before you now apologize, ‘oh sorry, we thought you were this kind of person’.
“It has even gone worse at some point that we see that even when you have proved beyond every reasonable doubt that you are not one of those people, they still harass you and extort from you.
“So, education, not on the part of the young people alone, but on the part of the security operatives will also help solve this problem.”
To address the issue, Johnson highlighted his partnerships with international organizations, the Federal Government, and other corporate entities aimed at training young Nigerians in tech-related skills.
“Some of the partnerships of SIH with the Federal Government include Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project, and 3 Million Technical Talent Program (3MTT).” He added.
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