The Department of State Services (DSS) has rejected proposals to allow foreign organisations to fund security and intelligence operations in Nigeria through the proposed DSS Security Trust Fund, warning of serious national security risks.
DSS Deputy Director Emmanuel Duabry represented the service at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence on bills aimed at strengthening the domestic intelligence agency’s operational capacity.
The DSS endorsed the bill to establish the Trust Fund but proposed far-reaching amendments, including the deletion of Section 3(d), which permits grants, donations and endowments from international organisations.
Duabry said: “Allowing foreign funding for a security-related Trust Fund raises serious concerns relating to sovereignty, operational confidentiality, and institutional independence,” urging lawmakers to expunge the clause.
The DSS argued that accepting foreign funding could undermine institutional independence and expose intelligence activities to external scrutiny, with potential reporting and disclosure obligations that could compromise sensitive security operations, intelligence methods, procurement processes and deployment strategies.
The service warned 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 Trust Fund should receive grants, donations and endowments only from local organisations, excluding international donors.
The matter came up at a public hearing where lawmakers examined bills seeking to strengthen the operational capacity of Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency through dedicated funding, professional training and research development.
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