Buduka Addey is a private security professional and visionary leader. She is the Managing Director of EPSS Private Security Services Limited and the first female National General Secretary of the Association of Licenced Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN). Addey has a track record in strategy and policy implementation, with distinct managerial and leadership skills that have enabled her to excel in diverse domains, including risk management, water engineering, ICT, security and institutional development.
She holds a Bachelor in Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Benin and a Masterof Science degree in Computing and Information Systems from the University of Greenwich, England. Her passion lies in promoting growth and institutional development within the private security industry in Nigeria. In recognition of her expertise and profound impact, Addey was listed in the International Fire and Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC) Global’s prestigious ‘Top 20 Influencers in Security & Fire’ for 2022 in the Security Executives category.
Her extensive professional affiliations include memberships of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) International, the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO), ALPSPN and IFSEC Global. A Certified Protection Officer (CPO) from IFPO, Addey, in this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA, she shares her passion for growth and development in the security sector as well as her drive for women to live out their dreams.
How did your passion for the security industry develop?
As a teenager and young adult growing up, I have always put my thoughts into what I want to do and how I want to do it. Right from my choice of tertiary institution, the University of Benin, till I completed my Master’s, I had made up my mind to become an entrepreneur.I don’t have a military background or a security background. I got interested in the private security sector and enquired about the process of setting up a security company.In 2007, we set up a security company in a male dominated environment, but I’ve always believed that success has no gender. Whatever you want to do, you require courage to go into it. I find myself as the only female in most of the meetings but it is not so strange.
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My first degree was in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and I was the only female in my class for the four years I was in school. So, it is a familiar terrain, hence my decision to set up an IT company, Injazlimited, in the UK 20 years ago before even venturing into the security sector.
As the National General Secretary of ALPSPN, what are some of the key issues or projects the association is concerned with, especially regarding security issues in Nigeria?
Law creates value. Until you have a proper regulation for the sector, you won’t get the value that you desire out of it. Our culture here, and the way our regulation is, affects any other international standard you want to infuse into it. That’s why, as a company, we believe that the diversification of the sector is crucial in meeting the needs of the private security sector. For now, there are some companies that just run all kinds of security – electronic security, cyber security; they don’t need a licence.
So, that is why we are calling for the diversification of the sector.In fact, that’s the reason I ran for the office. I believe that being in that position will enable me to push for some of these reforms that the sector needs.
Recently, we were able to get the Commandant General of Civil Defence, because they regulate the guard service sector, to agree to our proposal on licencing of each guard, and then have accreditation centres where we do training. We want to have standardised training and some of these projects that can create values. The regulation of private security activity has to be defined. We are hoping to develop a policy paper for the government. The government won’t prepare a table before you to sit down. You need to work out some of the things that you need as a sector, because the stakeholders know exactly where the shoe hurts. As you know, private security companies employ over four million Nigerian youths. For the number of people that gain from this sector, it needs to get attention for that regulation.
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What are the challenges of playing in the security sector and how are you able to stay afloat?
The acceptability of private security is not so good. So you have issues with people not paying for their service. I know some of the security companies in Nigeria that have closed business because of how things have been regarding the general acceptability. Then, the environment itself is not friendly to business.
But I always look at my SWOT analysis. I know my strength (S), my weakness (W), the opportunities (O) available and the threats (T) that are external; because, there are internal threats which you can take care of. Sustainability is also very important. The guard is a human being; he or she is not able to afford transportation or food and you have turnover. That’s why we have high turnover in the private security sector. Guards take their job as just a temporary job. There’s no career path. All these are industry related problems, for which we have continued pushing for reforms in the sector.
Being a woman in a male-dominated terrain,how has it been for you?
Someone spoke to me many years ago and said, “why would you want to do security when you can open a big fashion house.” For me, I don’t believe success has gender. You just need the courage and zeal to push boundaries, and look at things in the face and address them because things happen, And it’s just maybe the God-factor in me. I gave my life to Christ at 16. I don’t believe there’s any room for gender discrimination. I want to be competitive. I want to give my service. I want my quality management system to help me filter the ways that I would move. While bidding, it’s your documents that bid, not your gender. So, you have to look for those things that would make you exceptional and make you competitive, and not to say you are a woman.
What drives you?
I think it’s my thinking and belief system. I believe to the end that there is nothing that happens that is not through God. So, it’s my belief system and it is the way I’m thinking. You might see something as a problem but I see it as an opportunity to change how that thing works. I believe we can change our story, and of course this story of our business; and it will be more beneficial to my company in the long run as a by-product. This is my time to do that because I also don’t want to become the managing director of my company after four years. I would like to move to being maybe chairman.
Share with us some success tips for women?
I would narrow it down to my belief. I just believe that everything is possible as long as I put my heart to it. Sometimes, I don’t even know how it happens, but it’s just that little step you take every day, because you need to take the step. I’ve heard women say, ‘my husband will help me fix this’.But you need to have something that you are thinking about, that will help the person know how to help you.Be yourself; and that comes with nurturing your belief system. We fight a lot with what is possible, with our beliefs and fears. But it is to come out first and know it’s not you, but God’s word is for those who believeit’s possible. When God gave his command, it was for both genders. We might not know the capabilities we have unless we step out. When we come out, we realise that we are capable of many more things than we can imagine at the moment.
How are you able to create time for family life?
For me, I can tell you that I have time for everything. You create the time; I go to the market myself to fill up my store in the house. I want to put everything in order.I know everything that’s happening in my house and what my kids need for school. I can be here and with the help of technology, know what’s going on in my home, and be sure my kids are okay. You might think you can’t but if you put your mind at it then it’s possible.
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