The Federal Government has taken a bold step to reform and standardize operations of private security guard companies in Nigeria, which might lead to mergers or the outright withdrawal of operational licenses for some of them.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave this hint on Tuesday in Abuja at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the Nigeria Private Security Guard Industry organized by the Ministry of Interior.
He decried the proliferation of private security guard companies in the country, vowing to step on toes in the process of carrying out the reforms and standardization in line with global best practices.
He expressed the commitment of his ministry to strengthen internal security in the country, maintaining that private security guards have a great role to play in the protection of lives and property.
“All over the world, private security or private guards play a critical role in the national security architecture, so we feel realistically that Nigeria cannot be an exception to the global trend,” he said.
The Minister expressed sadness that the proliferation has lowered the standard of operations of private security firms, saying it was unfortunate that some owners of the companies are either unable to pay salaries to their personnel or are paying them a pittance.
He, however, noted that the reform initiatives, when implemented, would enhance the capacity of private guard companies to provide well-paid jobs for teeming Nigerian youths.
He said part of the reform was to review the licensing procedure and categorization of licenses based on capacity, competence, and reach, stressing that the government would ensure that quackery is eliminated from the industry.
He said: “Looking at the industry today, we feel that there is potential, and we are here to discuss in terms of policy formulation and adherence to global best practices. We want to put our heads together to see how we can categorize the operators, standardize processes, and enhance efficiency and productivity.
“We believe that this will lead to the creation of well-paid jobs for Nigerians and, of course, better security, better productivity, and a more efficient system that will be able to contribute more to our GDP.”
Tunji-Ojo disclosed that he has not signed any of the several applications waiting on his table since he assumed duties as Minister last year because almost all of them applied for a grade ‘A’ license “they do not have the capacity and competence for.”
He said the government would also create a robust database of all licensed private security outfits in the country. He noted the database would encompass relevant information, including the biometric data of each staff member for the purpose of monitoring their career progression and tracking in case of misdemeanors.
He said the Federal Government would sieve the registration process to ensure only those who are qualified are given licenses to operate private security guards in the country.
“Apart from categorization and review of the licensing procedure, we must also look at the Guard Management System as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in December last year, which aims to give the power of verification, authentication, and requisition back to the people they secure,” he added.
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Tunji-Ojo also noted that the recruitment process into private guard companies would now be thorough, including background checks and biometric verification, which would be tied to a special identification number.
He said this was necessary for tracking a staff member of a private security guard in case of any offense, recalling instances where a guard would be involved in a criminal act and flee without a trace.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Aishat Gogo Ndayako, said the meeting was called in view of the urgent need to reform private security guard companies in order to effectively complement the efforts of security agencies in safeguarding lives and property in the country.
National President of the Association of Private Security Guard Owners, Dr. Chris Adigwu, said private security guard is an industry that employs over 5 million Nigerians in both the formal and informal sectors and that if the services were optimized and standardized it would greatly help in reducing the burden on state actors.
He admitted that the major challenges being faced in the industry were the issues of standardization and professionalism, noting that the reforms being initiated by the Interior Minister would be a game changer.