The Department of State Services (DSS) Institute for Security Studies has been upgraded to the National Institute for Security Studies after President Muhammadu Buhari recently assented to the National Institute for Security Studies Establishment Act, 2019.
The signing of the bill into law has upgraded the institute to be at par with other security institutions with which it will collaborate to ensure adequate security in Nigeria.
The Act provides for the establishment of the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja, for the administration and management of the Institute and determining the standard of knowledge and skill to be acquired by the personnel of the Institute; and for related matters.
The institute will be a leading centre for the provision of competence and enhanced training for middle and top level managers of security in order to advance the best practices in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution.
Aside the provision of competence and enhanced training for middle and top level security officers in the country, it will also contribute to the promotion of inter-service, inter-agency and international cooperation, collaboration and harmony among intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies locally and globally.
The institute will serve as a critical centre for research and dialogue where academics, policy initiators and implementers will meet to cross-fertilise ideas on national and global security issues.
It will also add critical balance and objectivity by providing timely, empirical research and contextual analysis of relevant security issues to policy makers, area specialists, advocacy groups and the media.
The institute is expected to conduct other action oriented programmes on ad-hoc or regular top level security and law enforcement and risk managers of the rank of directors (or its equivalent in the military and law enforcement services) with a view to promoting understanding and exchange of views, ideas and experience on security, defence and law enforcement matters.
As a an institute it will conduct courses for middle and top level policy makers and executors drawn mainly from the security and law enforcement agencies (national and global) including civilians from related institutions to broaden their security outlook and mainstream human security perspectives into public policy processes in order to influence and guide decision makers within Africa and beyond;
It will also enter into collaborative ventures, affiliate with the establish linkages with other Institutions within or outside Nigeria for the purpose of building capacity in the Institute.
Speaking further on the implications of the Act, the spokesperson of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, said it took the extra efforts of the director-general of the DSS, Yusuf Bichi for the Act to see the light of the day.
He further said the bill was first sent to National Assembly in 2018 but was never signed into law until the coming of Bichi. Afunanya said with the signing of the bill, the Institute has become at par with other security institutions with the plan to collaborate with them to ensure adequate security in Nigeria.
He said parts of the objectives of the institute include “to be a leading centre for the provision of competence and enhanced training for middle and top level managers of security in order to advance the best practice in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution.”
“Contribute uniquely and viable to the promotion of inter-service intelligence and international cooperation, collaboration and harmony among intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies locally and globally in order to achieve national security regional and global peace; Serve as a critical centre for research and dialogue where distinguished academics policy initiatives and implementers with to cross-fertilise ideas on national and global security issues.”
The bill, which was signed into law recently, also gives the Institute the powers to conduct courses for middle and top-level policymakers and executors drawn mainly from the security and law enforcement agencies both (nationally and globally), including civilians from related institutions to broaden their security outlook and mainstream human security perspectives into public policy processes in order to influence and guide decision-makers within Africa and beyond;
The institute will also enter into collaborative venture affiliate with establish linkages with other institutions within or outside Nigeria for the purpose of building capacity and in the Institute.
The Institute shall also conduct other actions oriented programmes on ad-hoc or regular top level security and law enforcement and risk managers of the rank of directors (or its equivalent in the military and law enforcement services) with a view to promoting an understanding and exchange of views ideas and experiences and security defence and law enforcement matters.
Ede writes from Abuja.
