The Department of State Services (DSS) has cautioned lawmakers against allowing foreign organisations to contribute financially to a proposed Security Trust Fund for the agency, arguing that such arrangements could compromise intelligence operations, weaken institutional independence and expose sensitive national security activities to outside influence.
The position was presented on Thursday during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, where lawmakers considered a series of bills aimed at strengthening the operational effectiveness of the nation’s domestic intelligence agency through improved funding, training and research.
Representing the DSS at the hearing, Emmanuel Duabry expressed support for the proposed legislation establishing a DSS Trust Fund but urged the National Assembly to make significant amendments, particularly regarding provisions that permit grants and donations from international bodies.
Raising concerns about the implications of foreign-backed funding for intelligence activities, Duabry told lawmakers:
“Section 3(d), which permits grants, donations, and endowments from international organisations, should be expunged.
“Allowing foreign funding for a security-related Trust Fund raises serious concerns relating to sovereignty, operational confidentiality, and institutional independence. International funding arrangements may impose reporting and disclosure obligations capable of compromising sensitive security operations, including intelligence methods, procurement processes, and deployment strategies.
“There is also a risk that foreign funding may introduce external influence over domestic security priorities, which may not always align with Nigeria’s specific security realities, including insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping.”
The Service proposed that contributions to the fund should be restricted to local donors and organisations, insisting that national security financing must remain free from external interference.
Despite its reservations over aspects of the bill, the DSS described the Trust Fund initiative as a critical step towards ensuring reliable and timely funding for intelligence operations.
According to the agency, the proposed fund would strengthen the country’s capacity to tackle terrorism and emerging security threats while reducing bureaucratic delays associated with traditional budgetary allocations.
It said: “The Bill for an Act to establish the Department of State Services Trust Fund proposes the creation of a dedicated DSS Security Trust Fund aimed at ensuring stable and flexible financing for intelligence gathering, counterterrorism efforts, and broader national security operations.
“The Fund is designed to facilitate the acquisition of modern operational equipment, enhance training, and enable swift responses to emerging security challenges, while also minimising delays often associated with conventional budgetary procedures and safeguarding the confidentiality required for sensitive activities.
“It is further intended to guarantee the availability of prompt funding during emergencies such as terrorism incidents, civil unrest, and other crises.”
Beyond the issue of foreign donations, the DSS also called for adjustments to the proposed funding model, arguing that the legislation currently grants excessive discretion to the National Assembly in determining yearly allocations.
The agency maintained that adopting a fixed statutory contribution formula would provide greater financial certainty and improve long-term planning for intelligence operations.
The Service further recommended changes to the composition of the Trust Fund’s governing board. It opposed the inclusion of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, noting that the body is not established by law, and instead proposed that the Nigerian Bar Association nominate a representative with expertise in national security and human rights.
The DSS also suggested that the Board Secretary should be appointed by the President and must be either a serving or retired DSS officer not below the rank of Assistant Director, with at least 10 years post-call legal experience.
Additional recommendations included provisions empowering board members to resign through written notice to the President and authorising the President to remove members on grounds of misconduct, incompetence or inability to discharge their responsibilities.
Nevertheless, the Service urged lawmakers to proceed with the legislation.
“The bill represents a significant and commendable effort to strengthen the operational capacity of the Service through sustainable funding mechanisms. It is, therefore, in the best interest of national security that the Bill be passed into law,” it added.
The intelligence agency also expressed reservations about another bill seeking to establish a Strategic Intelligence Management Institute, warning that the proposal overlaps with the mandate of the National Institute for Security Studies already established by law.
Duabry argued that both institutions would essentially perform similar roles by providing strategic and specialised intelligence training to security personnel and government officials.
To avoid duplication, the DSS advised lawmakers to redesign the proposed institute to focus solely on foreign intelligence and international intelligence cooperation, areas traditionally associated with the National Intelligence Agency.
According to the Service: “The design and functions of the proposed Institute should be refocused to serve as a specialised training and capacity-building hub specifically oriented towards external intelligence, foreign intelligence operations, and international intelligence cooperation.
“This would ensure clear differentiation from the National Institute for Security Studies, which already provides generalised strategic security training.”
The DSS maintained that such restructuring would eliminate institutional overlap, clarify responsibilities and strengthen Nigeria’s foreign intelligence framework.
Defending the proposed legislation, Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon. Ahmed Satomi, said the bills were designed to enhance funding, training and indigenous technological capabilities within the country’s intelligence architecture.
“These bills are interlinked. One addresses funding, the second addresses professional training and coordination, and the third addresses indigenous capacity and technology. Together, they aim to position our intelligence agencies to better protect Nigerians and Nigeria’s national interest,” he said.
Satomi described the public hearing as a crucial stage of the legislative process, stressing that stakeholder input would help shape stronger laws.
“Legislation is not an event; it is a process. This public hearing is the most democratic part of that process.
“The bills before us seek to strengthen funding, build professional capacity, and enhance indigenous research capacity within our premier domestic security agency. No law made in isolation of the people it is meant to serve can stand the test of time. That is why you are here.”
He assured participants that all valuable recommendations would be reflected in the committee’s final report.
Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, described security as the foundation of national stability and development.
He noted that persistent threats such as terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, cybercrime and organised transnational crime require stronger investment in intelligence, innovation and institutional capacity, while urging stakeholders to continue contributing ideas that would enrich the legislative process.
(Ripples)
