Get Guardian on GoogleThe Nigerian Institute for Industrial Security (NIIS) has called on the Federal Government to increase investment in security infrastructure, particularly drones, closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems and intelligence technology, to strengthen the fight against insurgency and other security threats across the country.
The institute’s President, Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami, and Secretary, Wilson Esangbedo, made the call at the 19th Annual Security Conference 2026, organised by NIIS, with the theme, “Resilience by Design: Building Adaptive Security Architecture for a Volatile Threat Landscape,” held in Lagos.
Salami said the persistent attacks by insurgents, despite the efforts of the military, police, Air Force and other security agencies, had made it necessary for the country to reassess its security strategies and adopt more effective approaches.
He said the prevailing insecurity had continued to undermine economic productivity, particularly agriculture, as farmers were increasingly unable to access their farmlands for cultivation and harvesting.
According to him, some farmers who manage to access their farms risk being kidnapped, with ransom payments sometimes wiping out proceeds from several years of agricultural production.
He linked the decline in agricultural productivity to rising food prices and inflation, arguing that efforts to reduce the cost of imported food through measures such as lowering customs duties would have limited impact without addressing the underlying security challenges.
“Security affects so many other things. Once we get security right, our economy will begin to stabilise,” he said.
The NIIS president stressed the need for the government to embrace technology as a critical component of the country’s security architecture, noting that technological equipment could overcome some of the limitations associated with human security personnel.
He explained that surveillance gadgets could operate continuously without fatigue and provide greater precision in monitoring and detecting threats.
“I am calling on governments to embrace technology, buy more drones and buy more CCTVs to be able to trace,” Salami said.
He, however, emphasised that technological investment alone would not resolve the country’s security challenges without improved trust between security agencies and members of the public.
He said security agencies needed to earn the confidence of communities to encourage residents to provide credible intelligence that could help prevent attacks and identify criminal networks.
On the debate over community policing and the establishment of state police, Salami expressed support for community policing but cautioned against rushing into the creation of state police without adequate consultation and consideration of the financial implications.
He argued that many state governments might lack the financial capacity to establish and sustain effective police structures, particularly in meeting personnel welfare obligations and pension commitments.
According to him, the financial sustainability of state police institutions must be carefully examined before the policy is implemented.
However, Esangbedo advocated the adoption of state police, arguing that decentralised policing could improve security if supported by proper training, effective command structures and adequate funding.
He said Nigeria’s security architecture remained weak partly because citizens had failed to recognise their responsibility as the first layer of security, urging Nigerians to revive the culture of reporting suspicious activities and providing useful information to law enforcement agencies.
“The first security layer in our security architecture ought to be us, but most of us believe it is not our business. The slogan ‘see something, say something’ is what we have pushed for many years, but many people are beginning to forget that if they are their neighbour’s keeper, our security will do much better than it is presently doing,” he said.
Esangbedo also urged the government to improve the welfare, motivation and equipment of security personnel, particularly members of the military and police, saying their families should not be left vulnerable if they lose their lives in the line of duty.
He argued that a government that adequately caters for its security personnel would build a more committed and resilient force capable of protecting the country.
He added that equipping security agencies should go beyond providing firearms to include intelligence gathering, modern surveillance systems and other technological resources.
“Equipping them goes beyond just giving them guns. Equipping them also means that, in terms of intelligence, we should do more than we are doing. That’s where technology comes in,” he said.
The NIIS secretary cited the effectiveness of the police’s Rapid Response Squad (RRS), which he attributed partly to its access to technology and resources, as an example of how technology could improve security operations.
He also called for greater integration of private security operators into the country’s security architecture, arguing that their capacity could be better utilised to support law enforcement.
According to him, private security personnel could undertake more responsibilities, including VIP protection, thereby reducing the number of police officers deployed to protect individuals and freeing more personnel for conventional policing duties.
He further advocated the integration of private security operators into intelligence-gathering efforts, noting that the existing framework for sharing information with the Civil Defence authorities required more effective technological support.
On state police, Esangbedo said Nigeria should consider adopting decentralised policing structures, with clearly defined responsibilities and accountability mechanisms, similar to those operating in some other countries.
He maintained that community and state policing could be effective if officers were properly trained, motivated and subjected to appropriate command and disciplinary structures.
“Community policing will be as effective as the operators. It can work if you want it to work. You can mess it up if you want to mess it up. But if the police are well trained, they are made to understand there is command and structure, and they are motivated to do it,” he said.
Esangbedo urged the government and other stakeholders to reconsider the country’s security framework, stressing that improved public cooperation, personnel welfare, intelligence gathering, technology and institutional accountability were essential to addressing insecurity.
