The Department of State Services (DSS) has rejected proposals to allow foreign organisations fund security operations in Nigeria through a proposed Trust Fund.
The secret agency warned that such arrangements could undermine national sovereignty, compromise operational confidentiality and expose the country’s intelligence architecture to external influence, reports The Guardian.
The Service made its position known today at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on a Bill seeking to establish the Department of State Services (DSS) Trust Fund.
While expressing support for the overall objective of the legislation, the DSS urged lawmakers to amend key provisions relating to funding, governance and administration before its passage.
The hearing considered three bills, including 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).
In its presentation, the DSS described the proposed Trust Fund as a significant initiative aimed at providing dedicated and sustainable financing for intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism efforts and broader national security operations.
According to the agency, the fund would facilitate the acquisition of modern operational equipment, enhance personnel training, improve response to emerging threats and reduce delays associated with conventional budgetary procedures.
The Service, however, strongly opposed provisions in the Bill that would permit grants, donations and endowments from international organisations.
It argued that foreign funding of security-related activities raises serious concerns over sovereignty, institutional independence and operational secrecy.
The DSS noted that international funding arrangements often come with reporting and disclosure obligations that could expose sensitive intelligence methods, procurement activities and deployment strategies.
The agency warned that foreign donors could influence domestic security priorities in ways that may not align with Nigeria’s peculiar security realities, including insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.
It recommended that the relevant provision be amended to allow grants, donations and endowments only from local organisations and entities.
Beyond the funding issue, the DSS also raised concerns over the financing framework proposed in the Bill.
It noted that the legislation grants the National Assembly discretion to determine annual contributions to the Trust Fund, a provision it said could create uncertainty in funding.
The Service argued that the Bill also failed to clearly define the contributions expected from the Federal Government and state governments.
To address the concern, it proposed the adoption of a fixed percentage or clearly defined funding formula that would ensure predictability while allowing future legislative review where necessary.
The DSS also sought changes to the title of the Bill, recommending the removal of the word “Security” from the proposed name of the Trust Fund.
According to the agency, the title should simply read: “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Department of State Services Trust Fund, to Provide for its Management, Funding and Utilisation to Enhance National Security Operations; and for Related Matters.”
The Service further called for a review of the composition of the governing board of the proposed fund.
It observed that the proposed board lacked mandatory legal representation and questioned the inclusion of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, describing it as a voluntary association without statutory backing. To strengthen governance, the DSS recommended that the Nigerian Bar Association nominate a representative with expertise in national security and human rights.
The agency also proposed that the Board Secretary should be appointed by the president and must be a serving or retired DSS officer not below the rank of Assistant Director, as well as a legal practitioner with at least 10 years post-call experience.
In addition, the Service noted that the Bill failed to provide procedures for the resignation or removal of board members, including the chairman.
It proposed new provisions allowing members to resign by giving one month’s written notice to the President and empowering the President to remove the chairman or any member for misconduct, gross incompetence, inability to perform official duties or other sufficient cause.
Despite the proposed amendments, the DSS urged the National Assembly to pass the Bill, describing it as a vital mechanism for strengthening the operational capacity of the Service through sustainable funding.
The agency used the hearing to raise concerns over the proposed Strategic Intelligence Management Institute Bill, warning that it could duplicate the functions of the National Institute for Security Studies established under the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.
According to the DSS, both institutions would perform largely similar roles in providing strategic and specialised training for intelligence personnel, security officers and public officials.
To avoid overlap, the Service recommended that the proposed institute be redesigned to focus exclusively on external intelligence, foreign intelligence operations and international intelligence cooperation in line with the mandate of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon. Ahmed Satomi, said the three bills were designed to strengthen the operational capacity of the DSS through sustainable funding, professional intelligence training and indigenous research and technological development.
Satomi described the bills as complementary measures aimed at addressing key gaps in Nigeria’s intelligence architecture.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, stressed that national security remains the foundation for Nigeria’s survival and development.
He noted that challenges such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime and transnational organised crime require sustained investment in intelligence capacity, innovation and institutional strengthening.
