Expert Seeks Structural Reform in Nigeria’s Private Security Sector

Mike Igbodipe, managing director of Security Skills Development Company (SSDC), a security training and risk consultancy firm, has made case for a paradigm shift from physical force to intelligence-driven security in Nigeria.

The security expert made the advocacy at a recent unveiling of Security Thought Leadership Programme, in Lagos, aimed at setting up of right policies and development of frameworks that set the right industry standards towards achieving best practices.

According to him, the era of recruitment and drafting of private guards without need assessment and deployment of intelligence suitable to peculiar needs were no longer relevant to modern day security, particularly in the private security administration.

Igbodipe noted that this initiative was predicated on the philosophy that security within the private sector transcends mere physical enforcement; it encompasses the formulation of appropriate policies and the establishment of frameworks that delineate optimal industry standards, thereby facilitating the attainment of best practices.

“The company aspires to realise this vision through regular roundtable discussions featuring experts drawn from diverse backgrounds, aimed at addressing critical issues pertinent to the enhancement and safeguarding of the ecosystem while proffering solutions. This endeavour seeks to contribute to the national dialogue on reforming Nigeria’s private security sector and strategically integrating it into the overarching national security framework,” he said.

Established in 2010 as a security risk analysis and training firm, SSDC, he added, was conceived to address structural gaps, weak standards and insufficient skill development within the industry.

Igbodipe, a retired intelligence officer and security director at several multinational companies across various sectors of the economy, described the company as an intellectual-driven security consultancy rather than a conventional security outfit.

“We are not a typical manned guard company. We are not a journey management company. We are an intellectual-based security firm,” he said.

He noted that the private security sector remains largely unstructured beyond the regulatory oversight of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps on guard companies.
He noted that this is the right time for the private security sector to be properly harnessed towards integration into the National security framework.

Citing example of private guards’ numbers running into thousands with footprint across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, he said such a sector requires a well-structured administration that should He observed that.