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ABUJA – The Department of State Services (DSS) has cautioned against allowing foreign organisations to contribute to a proposed security trust fund for the agency, warning that such arrangements could expose sensitive intelligence operations to external influence and undermine Nigeria’s national security interests.
The position was presented by Emmanuel Daubry on behalf of the Service during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on Thursday in Abuja.
The hearing considered three bills, including the Bill for an Act to Establish the Department of State Services Trust Fund (HB.2178), the Bill for an Act to Establish the Strategic Intelligence Management Institute (HB.2589), and the Bill for an Act to Establish the DSS Research and Development Institute (HB.2716).
While expressing support for the proposed Trust Fund, the DSS urged lawmakers to amend several provisions of the legislation, particularly those relating to funding sources, governance structures and funding mechanisms.
Presenting the Service’s memorandum, Daubry said the proposed Fund would provide a stable and dedicated source of financing for intelligence gathering, counterterrorism operations and other critical national security activities, while reducing delays associated with conventional budgetary processes.
According to the DSS, the Fund is intended to strengthen operational effectiveness by guaranteeing access to resources for intelligence operations, acquisition of specialised equipment, personnel training and rapid responses to emerging security threats.
“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 minimizing 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,” the Service stated.
Despite supporting the overall objective of the Bill, the DSS objected to provisions permitting grants, donations and endowments from international organisations, arguing that security-related funding should remain insulated from external influence.
The Service warned that foreign financial support could create obligations capable of compromising operational secrecy and affecting the independence of domestic security institutions.
“Furthermore, Section 3(d), which permits grants, donations, and endowments from international organizations, 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 DSS consequently proposed that the provision be amended to restrict grants, donations and endowments to local organisations.
The Service also raised concerns about provisions empowering the National Assembly to determine annual contributions to the Fund without a clearly defined funding formula.
According to the DSS, a fixed percentage allocation or an explicit framework would provide greater certainty and sustainability for long-term security planning while still allowing legislative oversight through future amendments.
Beyond funding concerns, the DSS called for adjustments to the proposed governance structure of the Fund. It argued that the board should include mandatory legal expertise and questioned the inclusion of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, noting that it is a voluntary association rather than a statutory body established by law.
The Service recommended that the Nigerian Bar Association nominate a representative with expertise in national security and human rights. It further proposed that the Secretary of the Board should be appointed by the President and be a serving or retired DSS officer not below the rank of Assistant Director who is also a legal practitioner with at least ten years post-call experience.
The DSS also observed that the Bill does not provide procedures for the resignation or removal of board members, including the chairman, and urged lawmakers to address the omission by inserting relevant provisions.
Notwithstanding its recommendations, the Service urged the National Assembly to pass the legislation, describing it as a critical step towards strengthening the country’s intelligence and security capabilities.
“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,” the agency stated.
On the proposed Strategic Intelligence Management Institute, the DSS warned that the Bill substantially overlaps with the functions of the National Institute for Security Studies, established under the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.
According to the Service, both institutions would perform largely similar functions by providing strategic and specialised training for intelligence and security personnel, as well as public officials, thereby creating the risk of duplication.
To address the concern, the DSS recommended that the proposed institute be redesigned to focus specifically on external intelligence operations and international intelligence cooperation in line with the mandate of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
“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 Service stated.
It added that such a restructuring would eliminate institutional duplication, strengthen clarity of mandates and support the National Intelligence Agency in carrying out its statutory responsibility for Nigeria’s external security and international intelligence cooperation.
Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon. Ahmed Satomi, said the three bills under consideration were intended to strengthen the operational capacity of the DSS through sustainable funding, professional intelligence training and indigenous research and technological development.
According to him, the proposed legislations are complementary measures designed to improve funding, training and innovation within Nigeria’s intelligence community.
“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,” Satomi said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, described national security as the foundation upon which all other sectors of national development depend.
He stressed that contemporary threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime and transnational organised crime require stronger intelligence institutions, predictable funding and sustained investment in research, technology and capacity development.
The speaker urged stakeholders to make constructive contributions that would strengthen the legislative process and help reposition Nigeria’s security architecture to meet evolving threats.
The bills under consideration include the Department of State Services Trust Fund Bill (HB.2178), the Strategic Intelligence Management Institute Bill (HB.2589), and the DSS Research and Development Institute Bill (HB.2716).
