BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI, ABUJA

Worried by the increasing insecurity in the country, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) said it is set to standardise the training programme for private security guard operatives in Nigeria, to make it more professional.

Commandant General (CG) of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi disclosed this in an address at a Stakeholders’ Sensitisation Workshop on Private Security Training Centres’ Accreditation, Private Security Trainers Certification and Private Security Operatives Licensing held in Abuja.

Audi noted that the private guard industry in the country is under threat, due to the security challenges, adding that if nothing is done to improve it, the sector might go into oblivion.

Represented by the Assistant Commandant General (ACG) in-charge of Private Guards Companies, Esiegwu Ferdinand, the CG said the corps has developed a new uniform training curriculum system for all the security guard operatives in all parts of the country.

He maintained that when the standardisation and professionalisation exercise of the security industry begin, there would be no need for state police, since the private guard operatives operates in every nooks and crannies of the country.

The Commandant General further stated that the workshop, which started in the FCT would also hold in eight other zones of the 36 states of the country.

Speaking earlier, the National President, Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners in Nigeria (ALPSPN), Dr Chris Adigwu, said that the Sensitisation workshop is meant to educate private security companies on the need to train and license their operatives and make them professionals.

Adigwu noted that training and licensing of the private security operatives and making them more professional would reduce the burden on the state actors in their efforts to tackle the challenge of insecurity in the country.

He added that the nationwide programme would also led to better-service delivery for the companies, as well as a well-rounded security’ operatives in the country.

Also speaking, the led consultant to NSCDC and ALPSPN, Dr Daniel Omofoman explained that the sensitisation workshop, which commenced in Abuja would also be held in different parts of the country.

Omofoman noted that the training workshop would assist in tackling the current insecurity challenge, since the private security guards can be found in every parts of the country.

He added that the nationwide programme would also led to the training and licensing of about two million private security guards in the first phase, as well as reduce the current insecurity challenge in Nigeria.