The Private/Industrial Security & Investigation Industry in Nigeria: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward.

By

Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)

The Private/Industrial Security & Investigation Industry in Nigeria: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward
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Preamble Security is a sine qua non for human existence, survival and development. The statement of the Greek historian-Herodotus more than two thousand years ago that great deeds are usually wrought at great risks has become more cogent and valid in the ever risky and precarious world that we live in today. No individual, business or government will thrive in an atmosphere of wanton insecurity and unpredictability. No wonder many governments in the world allocate huge percentage of their national budget to Security/Defence. Successive governments in Nigeria have not done enough to tackle the far-flung causes of insecurity in Nigeria. Most treated the symptom and not the causative agent of the disease leading to the deferment of the evil day. This writer is of the considered opinion that interalia, insecurity, unemployment and constant electricity supply are three of the greatest challenges that the President Jonathan government must endeavor to find answers to, to remain popular. Global Perspective: Globally, the Private/Industrial Security & Investigation Industry is Big business and a vast employer of labour. The aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States and the intervention of US Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq etc witnessed a surge in Regular Combatants, voluntarily disengaging from the Armed Forces to join Private Security Companys. Many of the ex-Special Forces, Marines and the elite Navy Seals could not resist the mouth-watering offers and financial rewards that Private Security and Investigation Companys availed them. Spent are the days when a poorly dressed and haggard-looking old man opening and closing the gate of an establishment epitomizes a Security Professional. These days they wear designer three-piece suits and silk ties. With Closed Circuit (CCTV) Cameras and other electronic and remote-controlled/Internet Protocol (I.P) Networked Access Control devices/installations; a Security Professional can monitor an entire organization, estate or facility on a laptop in the comfort of a well-furnished office. Now the term Security has
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gone beyond traditional security issues like using batons for gate-keeping to chase away intruders etc. The Security profession has become more eclectic, complex, inter-connected and ever-expanding. It inter-alia encompasses disciplines like Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM)-identifying risks/vulnerabilities in an establishment and mitigating them, Security Convergence-the inter-dependence of IT, Physical Security, Safety etc in an organization; Fraud/Loss Deterrence; forensic investigation etc. I am sure its not every so-called Security Man as they are often called that understands these jargons. You see why I posit that term Security is bigger than what many people think. Due to the global and growing demand for the services of talented Professional Security experts, academic programs leading to the awards of B.Sc, M.Sc and PhDs in Security related fields have become very attractive and rewarding. Today, a plethora of Security Professionals are highly educated and can hold their own. The Nigerian Experience The wanton insecurity, criminality, kidnapping, instability, crude oil bunkering and terrorism currently ravaging Nigeria are unprecedented in annals of this country. Technology and enlightenment are fast displacing the use of African Juju or fetishism for Security in Nigeria. Gone are the years when Security entails having a malam guarding a house or premises with a machete or spear and bow. In a country like Nigeria with a Population of about 160 million people and a Police force of about 370,000 officers and men, there is no doubt that Nigeria is grossly under policed. This falls short of the United Nations recommendation of police to people ratio of 1:450. It follows that the Nigeria Police is over-stretched and overwhelmed. The blossoming Private Security Industry in Nigeria is also a spin-off of the shortfall in the Police to people ratio. There is no gainsaying the relevance of the Private Security/Industrial Security and Investigation Industry in Nigeria. If well-strengthened and harnessed, this Industry has the capacity to ameliorate the unprecedented levels of crime
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and insecurity and churn out much more steady stream of employment opportunities to the crowded unemployed and idle youths. Aside Oil, Security is another money sapping and spinning sector in Nigeria. This is underscored by the Police and Defence respectively getting N319.65bn, N348.91bn, the biggest chunk of the 2013 federal budget. States and Local Governments will also set aside their own budgets for Security. Recall that each of the 36 State governors in Nigeria is entitled to N6bn annually as Security Vote which they seldom utilize judiciously. Not forgetting the huge amounts that individuals and the informal sector apportions to Security. The unparalleled and swarming unemployment rate, failure of governance (weak judiciary/other public institutions), unprecedented levels of corruption, culture of impunity, religion fundamentalism/radicalism, inefficient Political system, under-staffed & inadequately trained/equipped/motivated Police force etc has continued to fan the embers of crime, insecurity, terrorism and other social vices in Nigeria. The exponential rate of instability, insecurity, unpredictability and terrorism in Nigeria has occasioned the geometrical demand for the services of Private Security Professionals. Many private and commercial organizations-Banks, Oil companies, Housing estates, embassies, even churches and mosques are increasingly strengthening their Security departments and apparatus. The aforementioned realities are having a multiplier-effect in the relevance of the Private/Industrial Security and Investigation Sector in Nigeria. Buoyed by the flourishing and lucrative business opportunities in the Private Security and Investigation Industry in Nigeria, a lot of foreign Security establishments have made inroads into Nigeria and are smiling to the banks. Aside from provision of Guard services etc, an additional flourishing business opportunity in Nigerias Security Sector is the sale of Security Gadgets. Individuals and organizations are spending a great deal to protect their lives and properties since not even the government can guarantee the safety of lives in Nigeria. It is not unusual to see metal and explosive detectors been used to frisk people and cars entering into public offices, churches and mosques. One hopes the so-called
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Detectors deployed are state-of-the-art with excellent Sensitivity and selectivity capabilities. I will return to this sometime. Challenges Bedeviling the Private Security Industry in Nigeria In most Western democracies and other countries where the rule of law holds sway, it is anomalous to see Police officers guarding Private individuals, banks or other commercial establishments. The Police are strictly meant to protect the citizenry. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Successive IGs of Police pay lip-service to ensuring that the Police rigorously cleaves to its statutory and constitutional role. It is an open secret in Nigeria that Police (MoPol) escort or protection is for the highest bidder. As I said earlier, with a staff strength of about 370,000 rank and file, the Nigeria Police is grossly under-staffed. Out of this number, almost every Bank branch in Nigeria has about 3-4 Police (MoPol) officers on their payroll. All foreign embassies and many telecommunication companies in Nigeria have Police (MoPol) in their payroll. All the 774 Local government Chairmen in Nigeria and all the National Assembly members (House of Representatives and the Senate), all Ministers, all 36 state governors, their wives, children, girlfriends, concubines cum relatives somehow have Police Orderlies attached to them. Not forgetting the coterie of Police officers guarding the party chieftains and godfathers. So how many Police officers are actually out there in the streets fighting crime? Your guess is as good as mine. The peculiar security challenges bedeviling Nigeria may have extenuated the penchant of the Police abandoning its statutory role. This status quo has been tolerated for too long and must not be allowed to continue or become a norm. One of the challenges confronting the Private Security Industry in Nigeria apart from its roles been usurped by the police, is the dearth of strict regulation and professional ethos/code of conduct. Again this is also attributed to the fact the Agency (NSCDC) that is supposed to oversee this Industry is not fit for purpose. It appears the NSCDC only derives joy in shutting down unlicensed Security Companies. Why cant they ask themselves why it is difficult for these Security Companies to sort out all the paper work? The Security Industry in Nigeria is crowded with quacks and unlicensed companies. For now, its
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tantamount to an all-comers affair with everybody doing his own thing his own way. The enabling law/statue in this regard appears to be more of a paper-tiger. Laws/rules are meaningless and useless if they are not pragmatic, unenforceable, compromising and only used to hound scapegoats or opponents. Recently Nigerias Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) slashed the cost of incorporating a Company by upwards of 70%. In addition to duly incorporating a Private Security Company, there is also a requirement to obtain a license from Nigerias Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Research indicates that the process of Incorporating and acquiring a PSC license in Nigeria is pricy and unnecessarily very cumbersome. The NSDCD stipulates that a prospective Private Security Company in Nigeria must have a minimum share capital of N10million naira! It goes further to state that all directors of the prospective security company must be Nigerians and that the registration fee is N500,000 (half a million naira) in addition to other sundry levys and probably payment of bungs. If feelers from the grapevine are anything to go by, a prospective Private Security Company in Nigeria will have to set aside about N3 million naira to get the registration and all the paper work sorted out. After payment of the fee, investigation will be conducted by the State Security Service (SSS) before applications will be considered and approval given by the Minister of Interior . The Minister of Interior will have to give an approval and two other government agencies: the SSS and the NSCDC are all involved in this process. Can you imagine the toll, unnecessary duplication of roles and bureaucracy/bottleneck associated with registering and running a Private Security Company in Nigeria? Since the CAC has slashed the cost of incorporating a company one expects the NSCDC to also eliminate unnecessary red tape and reduce the license fee to encourage all the unlicensed PSC to acquire the needed license. You see why there is a plethora of unregistered Private Security Companies in Nigeria. Why do we make things difficult for ourselves in Nigeria? Government policies in Nigeria hamper businesses. Unfortunately many of the government functionaries churning out these policies have never been involved in running their own business so they dont appreciate the challenges and pains.
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It is unnecessary to stipulate that all the Directors of a Private Security Company in Nigeria must be Nigerians. It is been circumvented anyway. Anybody that has an equivalent of a Permanent Residence Permit in Nigeria should be allowed to run a business he so wishes. There are many Nigerians legally resident abroad (not even the naturalized citizens of their host countrys) that run Private Security Companies. The richest man in Britain today is an Indian-Mr. Mittal. He can own and run a Private Security Company in the United Kingdom if he so wishes. A foreigner being the Director of a Private Security Company does not necessarily impinge on National Security. Yes, for Critical National Infrastructures you can insist that the Private Security Company bidding for such a contract be wholly indigenous. It is all these unnecessary bottlenecks that scare away potential foreign investors from investing in Nigeria. Of course the big players will not complain of these bottlenecks because they have the wherewithal and the political contacts to expedite whatever they want and wriggle out of the cornucopia of bureaucratic constrictions. Let me suffice a classic example here. In the United Kingdom, the process of registering and running a Private Security Company is seamless and very straightforward. The UK Security Industry Authority (SIA) grants two types of licenses: the Frontline and nonfrontline. The license costs about 220 (about fifty thousand naira) for a three year license. With the non-frontline license, you are entitled to run a Security company after you must have undergone some training and incorporated your company. Of course incorporating a company in the UK or the United States is less cumbrous compared to the Nigerian experience. In many European countries and America, one can have a company incorporated within 48 hours and costs as low as 15 in the United Kingdom. Why cant we take a cue from these countries? If my experience of incorporating a company in Nigeria is anything to go by, it takes several weeks to do a name search alone. I will return to this wahala, let me continue with the challenges bedeviling the PSC in Nigeria. Devoid of a comprehensive database and fingerprints of ex-convicts/felons in Nigeria, it is plausible that a supposed Security Professional is an ex-convict, cultist or even a terrorist. Cases like this abound even in the Police and Armed forces of convicted criminals and
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dismissed Personnels enlisting and re-enlisting into the fold. This is a clarion call to Security Companies, organizations and the government Security Services to stringently vet and do background check on their prospective Security Professionals. Envision the far-reaching consequences of inadvertently having an Al Qaeda/Boko Haram member/sympathizer or an unrepentant ex-convict as a Security Staff of an organization. Also of contention in Nigerian Private Security circles is whether or not to allow the Private Security Professionals to bear arms. Officially PSOs in Nigeria are not allowed to bear arms but it seems there is a way around this. My take on this is that allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry to bear arms may be counter-productive. However if need be, let there be a stringent condition or requirement. I will be more comfortable with ex-service or retired Military/Police officers bearing arms than the civilians with little or no weapon handling or firearms skills. With the exception of Private Security Operatives (PSOs) employed by multinational companies, embassies, telecoms firms and other big players in the Sector, the remuneration package of an average PSO in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. The mean salary of an average PSO in Nigeria is about fifteen thousand naira (N15, 000.00) i.e. about $100 a calendar month whereas his counterpart, say a Doorman in the street of London or Manchester, with little or no education, earns upwards of twenty pounds (20) or more an hour! Given the extremely precarious security terrain in Nigeria, a cheering salary/welfare package and life insurance will definitely boost the morale of a PSO in Nigeria. Instead of esprit de corps, there is some kind of rivalry and mutual distrust between mainstream government security agents seconded to most commercial establishments and the in-house Private Security Operatives hired by those organizations. Private Security Operatives simply compliment the efforts of the Police and other Security agencies. They are not in any way competing with mainstream government Security agencies. Another major issue that has bogged the Private Security and Investigation Industry in Nigeria is the prevalence of unconventional groups like the OPC, Bakassi Boys, Egbesu
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boys and other local vigilantes. These unconventional groups now vie for Security contracts and they get them because they have all the good contacts in the right places. With Oil Pipeline and Maritime Protection contracts in their kitty, many of the ex-Niger Delta Militants have metamorphosed into nouveau-riche multi-billionaires. The persistence Oil Pipeline vandalization and Bunkering is calling to question the competence of the use of ex-militants to protect our Oil installations and maritime waterways. Use of Satellite Technology and Internet Protocol (I.P) Networked CCTV Cameras will do a better job in monitoring and protecting Oil pipelines than a battalion of inept ex-combatants. In South West Nigeria, some organizations, neighborhoods and individuals will use the services of the OPC for security during the night but will not be proud to have those same OPC chaps during the day. It is a well-known fact that most of these irregular Security groups bank on their native charms for their work. There is no doubt that some of the groups mean well and maintain some semblance of social order. However the problem is with their modus operandi which usually leads to extra-judicial killings cum jungle justice. Sadly, the Nigeria Police is also enmeshed in extra-judicial killings. It beggars belief that a suspected criminal or terrorist in Nigeria will be cut down without extracting sensitive and helpful information from him. This is the 21st century, an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. With the passage of time, concerted effort, interplay of forces, and the Political will, the Boko Haram phenomenon will likely wane but may not be completely exterminated. A new group or breakaway faction may even emerge. Remember the dreaded Maitatsine of the 1980s? At the risk over-egging the pudding or been dubbed a pessimist or a prophet of doom, I postulate that with or without negotiation or amnesty, pockets of sporadic terrorist incidents, kidnappings will persist across Nigeria unless far-reaching measures are taken to shrink abject poverty, culture of impunity, unemployment, hopelessness, wanton corruption and profligacy, religion fundamentalism and injustice. The Private Security and Investigation Industry in Nigeria has a promising future and also a long way to go.
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Proliferation of Professional Bodies and Certifications I guess there are about five or so different Private Security Professional Associations in Nigeria vis--vis the National Professional Security Association (NPSA), Nigerian Chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), the Society of Security Practitioners of Nigeria (SSPN), the Security and Safety Association of Nigeria (SSAN) and the Association of Private Security Practitioners in Nigeria (APSPN). The plethora of paper tiger industry associations in Nigeria makes it difficult for the Industry to present a united front and speak with one voice on issues bordering them. Similarly, the idea of inept and un-accredited organizations indiscriminately awarding Professional Security/Safety Certifications must be frowned at and discouraged. Trust Nigerians, there is some kind of penchant even in the Security Industry for who bags the highest and every available local and foreign Certification. Nobody is saying that Certifications are not good, they are highly recommended. The point is that more often than not, competence, expertise and knowledge transcend the quest to acquire or procure Certifications. There are some other ways of ascertaining whether a prospective candidate for a position is on top of his game or not aside from Certifications. Trust the Americans; they are adept at creating wealth through intellectual Products. While the Chinese, Japanese etc engineers are busy churning out state-of-the-art gadgets/electronics, they still need an American Certification of Validation to prove that they are on top of their game. Certifying Organizations must rise beyond pecuniary resource from prospective candidates or members. For instance, the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) is undisputedly a coveted global brand. As intelligent and competent as they are, many Private Security Officers in Nigeria cannot comfortably cough out $450 to sit for American Society for Industrial Securitys (ASIS) Certified Protection Professional (CPP) examination or pay $170 for annual membership of ASIS. It is easier for an American Private Security Officer (PSO) earning say $3,000 a month to appropriate such an amount than for his Nigerian counterpart earning say N50, 000.00 ($300) a month to do the same. Of course $300 a
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month is for the highfliers in Nigerias Private Security Industry. As I said earlier, apart from those employed by banks, telecommunication firms, Oil companies, the average monthly wage of a PSO in Nigeria is roughly N15,000.00 ($100). In view of the high exchange rate of the naira to the dollar, Nigerians and other poor African countries have a very strong case to make for the ASIS hierarchy to reduce or subsidize part of these fees for them. Otherwise a plethora of qualified and competent would-be members will be disfavoured. Need for Restructuring & an Independent Ombudsman The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Act No. 2 of 2003 and Amendment Act of 2007, empowers the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to supervise and monitor Private Guard Companies in Nigeria. The NSCDC, a Para-military outfit encumbered and overwhelmed with the onerous responsibility of law enforcement/fighting crimes, chasing Crude oil pipeline vandals etc and does not necessarily have the time to brainstorm, manage the Private Security Industry and make it more competitive and Professional. The NSCDCs Service Charter (Local) for Private Guard Companies specifies the responsibilities and expectations from the Civil Defence Corps. Realities on ground seem to suggest that the NSCDC is not fit for purpose or living up to expectations. It is high time they (the NSCDC) concentrated on its forte (law enforcement). There is need for infusion of fresh ideas in the running of the Private Security Industry in Nigeria. The abovementioned challenges and shortcomings of the NSCDC, makes it exigent for a competent national ombudsman that will instill some level of sanity, standardization, regulate and harmonize the activities of the Private Security and Investigation Industry in Nigeria. It is pertinent that Private Security Professionals in the nook and cranny of Nigeria are adequately trained, re-trained and licensed (badged) after scaling through a prescribed examination or assessment.

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The same rules/conditions and standards that applies to the Private Security Professional in Illela (Sokoto State), must apply to the one in Mubi (Adamawa State), Etinan (Akwa Ibom), Ohaozara (Ebonyi) and Badagry (Lagos) etc. There will be a license for Frontline and non-frontline Operatives with different designations or Specializations. Need for Ongoing Sensitization of the Citizenry on Security There is need for ongoing sensitization of the citizenry on security issues. A lot of Nigerians are oblivious of the enabling law that empowers Private Citizens to arrest a suspect. The Criminal Procedure Act, CAP 80, Chapter 1, Part 2 (12) specifically mandates a Private Citizen to arrest any person who in his view commits an indictable offence or whom he reasonably suspects of having committed an offence. Of course minimum force must be applied and stipulated procedures and conditions adhered to. We hereby call on the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the SSS, NGOs and other stakeholders to embark on unrelenting sensitization and enlightenment campaigns informing people what they need to do, what telephone numbers to call when they suspect something unusual or an imminent security threat around them. Security is a collective responsibility and all hands must be on deck-the Police, Military, the Private Security Industry, the private citizens-the students, artisans, house wives etc. An iota of commission or omission can have tremendous security implications. Dont say wetin concern me because it will concern you when it happens.

The Way Forward

As far as regulating the Private Security Industry in Nigeria is concerned, it is obvious that the NSCDC is not fit for purpose. In a country of 160 million or more people, a probably incompetent and under-staffed Department of the NSCDC cannot effectively coordinate the activities of the Private Security Companies in the nook and cranny of Nigeria. The NSCDC should concentrate in its forte- fighting crimes/law enforcement. Clamping down on unregistered security Companies is not the solution to the problem, the Nigerian government must streamline the cost and bottleneck associated with running a Private Security Company in Nigeria otherwise quackery will persist in this Industry.
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Sequel to global Industry standard and best practices, one is of the considered opinion that there is a pressing need for a full-fledged, self-funding autonomous civil ombudsman peopled with Security Experts. I hereby propose the establishment of the Security Industry Authority of Nigeria (SIAN) that will regulate the activities of Private Security and Investigation Companies and Operatives in Nigeria. The government has nothing to fear or lose but everything to gain from this arrangement because mutatis mutandis the prospective Independent Regulator will not necessarily need government as it will be self-sustaining. This conforms to global best practices and will invariably enhance Standards, Professionalism and instill discipline. I can do a proposal in this regard that guarantees a stream of revenue and thousands of career opportunities been generated through such an autonomous ombudsman. Make no mistakes about it, doing business in Nigerian can be very rewarding especially if you have the right contacts in the right places or you have the financial muscle to bulldoze your way. It is definitely not easy for start ups, it is not an adventure recommended for the faint-hearted. Here goes a clarion call to all the Professional Security Bodies, stake-holders and other Security juggernauts in Nigeria to speak with one voice and present a bill to this effect and lobby the National Assembly for its passage. We enjoin all Nigerians to Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism . Hear it, See it, Say it, Stop it!!! Don Okereke (Security Analyst & Consultant) Abuja, Nigeria. donnuait@yahoo.com +2347080008285

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