Intelligence community and private guard companies in Nigeria: The missing national security architecture links

Abstract

The yawning loop between federal security agencies and the private security industries has an aggravating effects on the nonresponsiveness of the national security architecture, where almost all actors are siloed in a stand-alone-mode. As an interactive national security architecture fusing federal security agencies with private Guard Companies in Intelligence sharing networks, as seen in developed clime could have a catalytic effects on national security architecture. It was against this backdrop that this study leverages on participatory theory (Network Analysis Theory) to investigate the impact of intelligence community and private guard companies on national security architecture in Nigeria. The study deconstruct National Security into, economic security and education security. This study adopts qualitative research design using exploratory research design on publicly available archive documents; study also relies solely on secondary data. The research is conducted by examining literature concerning private security industry, national security architecture, intelligence community and its effects on human security in Nigeria. The literature was obtained through searches in publicly available material. Literature from non-serial publications, official reports, and conferences has been included particularly if they have been cited by other references in term of intelligence sharing and private Guard companies and effects on national security architecture. Results that originate from this study revealed that one of the effects of intelligence sharing between private security industry and government security agencies correlates with economic security in job provisions and upyick startup tech industry. Result also submits that intelligence sharing of players domicile in the security architecture alongside private security industry positively influences public safety which could reinforces the Global safe school projects and slow down the widening illiteracy trajectories. The study recommends that government should establish fusion centres for all actors particularly, private security industry and NSCDC, as it will consolidate nation’s economic security further. Study also recommends that while private security could assist in the Safe school projects, NSCDC should provide the needed horizon security which ensures public safety.