Psychology experts at the National Congress and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Psychological Association (NPA) have advocated social justice as a requirement for stability and national development in the country.
The stakeholders also proposed psychology to be injected into the Nigerian security architecture to have a lasting solution to the human, educational, economic, social and infrastructural decay in the country.
This was proposed at a recent conference held at the Aderemi Makanjuola Hall, Lagos State University, main campus, Ojo, Lagos, with the theme: “Psychology, security, and sustainable development.”
The programme, which provided a platform for the cross-fertilization of ideas, had guest speakers from NPA, the state government, and security experts, who proffered solutions to the security problems facing the country.
President of the Pan-African Psychology Union, Prof. Andrew Zamani, in his speech, said: “Psychological scientists must be allowed to flourish in military warfare, intelligence-led policing, forensic investigations, psychological evaluations, counter-terrorism operation, and child and youth development. We must be allowed to play the role we are called to play for the sake of the development of the nation and children yet unborn”, he stated.
The president of NPA, Prof. Olukayode Afolabi, while delivering his paper, x-rayed the security challenges facing the nation, how psychology-deficient Nigeria as a nation has become and possible ways psychology can help find solutions to those problems.
“There is an urgent need to involve psychologists in the recruitment, selection, training, deployment, placement, retraining, promotion, retirement and disengagement of our security personnel.”
He added that there was an urgent call to the state and national assembly for the speedy transmission of the Psychology Bill to the President for assent.
Vice-chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, represented by the deputy VC, Prof. Adenike Boyo, commended the event’s organisers for coming up with the theme of the programme, saying she believed at the end of the three-day programme that there would be a workable solution to some of the security problems that confront the nation, and also that the conference would be of immense benefit to psychology professionals in the university.
She said: “Without understanding how people think and behave, we cannot understand how to secure them or overcome their propensity for evil. And without securing our nation, we cannot talk of sustainable development.”
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Olufunsho Omobitan, and acting head, Department of Psychology, Prof. Adewuyi Deborah, averred that the faculty was privileged to host the confernce and there was no doubt that deliberations made at the conference would bring about impact in solving society’s problems.
One of the high points of the event was the conferment of honorary fellowship awards to deserving individuals who have contributed immensely to the study of Psychology and whose efforts and support have brought great developments.
The NPA congress was attended by the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Honorable Mudashiru Obasa, who was represented by Olusegun Akande, and delivered a paper titled “Security and National Sustainability”; Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, represented by Dr. Grace Abimbola; The Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, represented by ACP Afegbai Igbafe; Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Audi, represented by Dr. Olufeso; and Comptroller of Corrections, Lagos State, Mr. Oduntan Olukoya.
In a similar development, the Nigerian Psychological Association conferred honorary fellowship award on the VC of LASU, Prof. Olatunji-Bello. The fellowship award was conferred on her at the opening ceremony of the 2022 congress of the NPA.
The NPA president said Prof. Olatunji-Bello was honoured for her contributions to the study of psychology in the university and the nation as a whole.
Olukayode praised the VC for giving special attention to the Psychology Department of the university,with the construction of a psychology laboratory, the best in the country.