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The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, held a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Security and Intelligence Trust Fund to provide alternative funding for security agencies, particularly the armed forces.
The bill, sponsored by Ahmed Satomi, the member representing Jere Federal Constituency, Borno State, aims to enhance Nigeria’s security and intelligence capabilities to effectively fulfil their constitutional mandate of securing lives and property.
The event, held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, was declared open by the Speaker, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, alongside other federal lawmakers.
Addressing participants, Speaker Abbas described security as a major challenge in the country.
“We cannot overlook the loss of human lives and material resources caused by banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, oil and solid minerals theft, and insurgency, among other issues. These have collectively deterred investors and created humanitarian crises by displacing families.
“They have also contributed to food insecurity, as many farmers have abandoned their farms. It is therefore imperative that we use legal instruments to address these challenges effectively,” Abbas said.
He urged participants to provide valuable insights, stating, “This public hearing is organised to allow members of the public to make informed contributions that will assist the House of Representatives in deciding on the establishment of the Nigerian Security and Intelligence Trust Fund.
“The Fund would help increase the funding of security agencies and enhance their capacity for intelligence gathering, training, and procurement of equipment, with the overall goal of addressing security challenges at their roots.”
He also cautioned against potential conflicts between the proposed legislation and existing laws.
“I must remind everyone that as we navigate this process, we must consider the existing laws governing security agencies to ensure that, in solving a problem, we do not create a new one through duplication of functions and roles.
“I expect a thorough examination of the proposed law and recommendations that will guide the House in its legislative duties,” he added.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi, explained that the bill aims to provide funding for security and intelligence matters beyond the regular budgetary provisions.
“This Fund will primarily be used for the training and retraining of personnel in Nigerian security agencies, the procurement of state-of-the-art security and intelligence equipment, and the development of necessary infrastructure to enhance the technical competency and operational readiness of security personnel.
“The Fund will also support the upgrade and maintenance of training institutions to global standards and allocate resources for research and development. The outcomes of such research will help intelligence agencies, the armed forces, and relevant paramilitary bodies keep pace with the world’s best security agencies in this digital age,” he said.
He emphasised that intelligence gathering, rather than a purely forceful approach, is key to overcoming terrorism and other security threats across the country.
In a separate interview with journalists, Satomi criticised the inadequate funding of national security over the years, highlighting that some universities in the United States and even less resource-endowed African countries allocate more funds to security than Nigeria.
“Today, if you look at the size of our entire national budget, it is less than the budget of the University of California, which has a budget of about $100 billion.
“Compare this with some African countries like Angola and Egypt — countries that are not as large as Nigeria. Their security budgets are almost twice what Nigeria allocates to security.
“We need to think outside the box for alternative funding that will strengthen the capacity of our frontline officers—members of the armed forces and paramilitary agencies,” he added.
According to the Borno lawmaker, the bill proposes allocating one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the Security Trust Fund. He noted that stakeholders opposed the inclusion of gifts and donations from the public due to the sensitive nature of security issues.
He assured that, if passed into law, the relevant committees in both chambers of the National Assembly would provide the necessary oversight to ensure the effective and efficient management of the Fund on behalf of Nigerians.
