The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the ecosystem of foreign intelligence influence in Nigeria.
It advised that the inquiry must go beyond formally funded civil society organisations and media houses to examine the wider networks through which foreign interests might influence Nigerians.
In a statement by its executive director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro said the focus should not be limited to who receives foreign resources, but should examine the relationships, access, information flows and influence that might accompany them.
“The question is not simply who funds these organisations or engages these individuals. The big er question is who is influencing who, through what channels, for what purpose and ultimately in whose interest,” it added.
The group said Nigerians do not necessarily have to knowingly cooperate with a foreign intelligence operation before becoming useful to it.
“A Nigerian can be completely unaware of an intelligence operation and still become useful to foreign strategic interests.
What begins as research, advocacy, media engagement, fellowship, consultancy, conference participation, funding, or a personal relationship may acquire strategic value beyond what the individual initially understands,” it stated.
The organisation, therefore, called for an examination of the broader ecosystem, including funding arrangements, research partnerships, fellowships, consultancies, sponsored campaigns, media relationships, digital influence networks, strategic communications, and access to sensitive information.
It, however, cautioned against equating foreign engagement with espionage, noting that: “Foreign funding is not automatically proof of espionage. But neither should the language of development assistance make Nigerians incapable of asking whether strategic interests accompany foreign resources.”
It said scrutiny must be universal, adding that: “If Nigeria is serious about sovereignty, nobody should be above scrutiny, not government, not civil society, not the media, not influencers, not political actors and not foreign partners.”
PeacePro said the investigation should not end with identifying possible influence networks but should lead to a national counter-intelligence awareness framework that would equip Nigerians to recognise potential manipulation, recruitment and exploitation.
The organisation proposed structured awareness programmes for journalists, academics, researchers, influencers, civil society actors, political actors and other professionals who regularly interact with foreign institutions.
Such programmes, it said, should help citizens recognise potential warning signs, including unusual approaches for sensitive information, attempts to cultivate privileged relationships, unexplained financial or logistical support, requests for confidential information and efforts to influence public opinion or policy through concealed interests.
