DIGITALIZING CAMPUS SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN THE FACE OF RISING SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS.

Abstract

The main goal of any higher education institution is to provide students with education in a secure environment. While establishing policies and protocols for ensuring campus safety is crucial, universities must also use digital technology to enhance their efforts. This paper discussed digitalizing campus security management in the face of rising security challenges in Nigeria, problems and prospects. Digitalization of campus security includes adopting digital transformation strategies to modernize campus security architecture. By leveraging innovative digital security systems, including surveillance cameras, access control, emergency notification systems, and data analytics, these institutions can enhance situational awareness, streamline incident response, and foster a safer learning environment. The study enumerated some of the challenges of campus security as cyber threats and vulnerabilities, privacy and data protection concerns and the issue of funding among others.  The study suggested that the managers of tertiary education should prioritized the purchase of modern security gadgets, periodic security assessments and regular training and retraining of security personnel. Campus security implies that it will not only enhance teaching and learning but will also improve situational awareness and enhance students' responses.