The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by training operators of licensed private security companies on intelligence gathering, digital operations and inter-agency collaboration.

The one-day capacity-building workshop, organised in partnership with the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), Lagos Zone, was held recently at the NUT Pavilion, Alausa, Ikeja, with supervisors, operators, field officers and guards from various private security companies in attendance.

Declaring the workshop open, the Lagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Adedotun Keshinro, said the training formed part of the Corps’ statutory responsibility to conduct regular capacity-building programmes for Private Guard Companies (PGCs).

He described private security operators as indispensable partners in safeguarding lives and property, noting that Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, has the highest concentration of licensed private security companies in the country.

Speaking on the theme, “Coordinating Guard Operations Through Intelligence and Digitization,” Keshinro said intelligence-led policing and the deployment of digital technology had become essential in tackling emerging security threats.

According to him, the workshop also reflects the growing partnership between the NSCDC and ALPSPN in promoting professionalism, accountability and operational effectiveness within the private security industry.

Chairman of ALPSPN, Lagos Zone, Mr. Babatunde Mumuni, commended the Commandant for sustaining initiatives that enhance the competence of private security practitioners. He urged participants to leverage the knowledge acquired during the training to improve security service delivery across the state.

Delivering a keynote lecture on behalf of Professor Adedeji Oyenuga, Dr. Funto Akhimien stressed that stronger collaboration among private security companies, the NSCDC and other security agencies was critical to addressing the nation’s evolving security challenges.

“No security agency can secure Nigeria alone,” she said, calling for greater information sharing and coordinated operations.

Professor Waziri Adisa of the University of Lagos also educated participants on the legal framework regulating private security operations, highlighting the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Private Guard Companies Act of 1986, and the NSCDC Act of 2003 as amended in 2007.

Barrister Adebayo Akinade further urged operators to remain compliant with extant laws and embrace best practices to avoid legal pitfalls in an increasingly digital security environment.

The workshop attracted ALPSPN executives, senior NSCDC officers, including the Head of the Private Guard Companies Department, Assistant Commandant of Corps Aruwa Kadri, as well as stakeholders in the private security sector. The event ended with the presentation of certificates to participating companies and outstanding participants.