The Department of State Services (DSS) has urged the House of Representatives to remove provisions allowing international organisations to finance the proposed DSS Security Trust Fund, warning that foreign funding could compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty, intelligence operations and national security.
The position was presented on Thursday during a public hearing organised by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence on bills aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the DSS through sustainable funding, professional training and research development.
Represented by Emmanuel Duabry, the Service endorsed the bill establishing the DSS Trust Fund but proposed several amendments, including the deletion of Section 3(d), which permits grants, donations and endowments from international organisations.
Duabry said, “Section 3(d), which permits grants, donations, and endowments from international organisations, should be expunged.
“Allowing foreign funding for a security-related Trust Fund raises serious concerns relating to sovereignty, operational confidentiality, and institutional independence. International funding arrangements may impose reporting and disclosure obligations capable of compromising sensitive security operations, including intelligence methods, procurement processes, and deployment strategies.
“There is also a risk 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 instead proposed that the Trust Fund should only receive grants, donations and endowments from local organisations.
Despite its reservations, the agency described the proposed legislation as a significant step towards ensuring stable financing for intelligence gathering, counterterrorism operations and rapid response to emerging security threats.
It stated, “The Bill for an Act to establish the Department of State Services Trust Fund proposes the creation of a dedicated DSS Security Trust Fund aimed at ensuring stable and flexible financing for intelligence gathering, counterterrorism efforts, and broader national security operations.
“The Fund is designed to facilitate the acquisition of modern operational equipment, enhance training, and enable swift responses to emerging security challenges, while also minimising delays often associated with conventional budgetary procedures and safeguarding the confidentiality required for sensitive activities.
“It is further intended to guarantee the availability of prompt funding during emergencies such as terrorism incidents, civil unrest, and other crises.”
The Service also called for a clearer funding formula, arguing that leaving annual allocations to the discretion of the National Assembly could undermine long-term planning.
It further recommended changes to the composition of the Trust Fund’s governing board, proposing mandatory legal representation and opposing the inclusion of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which it described as a voluntary association without statutory backing.
The DSS suggested that the Nigerian Bar Association nominate a representative with expertise in national security and human rights, while recommending that the Board Secretary be appointed by the President from serving or retired DSS officers not below the rank of Assistant Director who are legal practitioners with at least 10 years post-call experience.
It also sought provisions allowing board members to resign through written notice to the President and empowering the President to remove members for misconduct, gross incompetence or inability to perform their duties.
Urging lawmakers to pass the legislation, the agency said, “The bill represents a significant and commendable effort to strengthen the operational capacity of the Service through sustainable funding mechanisms. It is, therefore, in the best interest of national security that the Bill be passed into law.”
On a separate bill seeking to establish a Strategic Intelligence Management Institute, the DSS warned against duplicating existing institutions.
According to Duabry, the proposed institute overlaps with the National Institute for Security Studies established under the 2019 Act, as both would provide strategic intelligence training for security personnel.
He recommended that the institute be redesigned to focus solely on external intelligence and international intelligence cooperation in line with the mandate of the National Intelligence Agency.
“The design and functions of the proposed Institute should be refocused to serve as a specialised training and capacity-building hub specifically oriented towards external intelligence, foreign intelligence operations, and international intelligence cooperation.
“This would ensure clear differentiation from the National Institute for Security Studies, which already provides generalised strategic security training.”
Responding, Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi, said the three bills were intended to strengthen the DSS through sustainable funding, professional intelligence training and indigenous technological development.
“These bills are interlinked. One addresses funding, the second addresses professional training and coordination, and the third addresses indigenous capacity and technology. Together, they aim to position our intelligence agencies to better protect Nigerians and Nigeria’s national interest,” he said.
Satomi added that the public hearing was convened to gather expert opinions before the bills advance to the next legislative stage.
“Legislation is not an event; it is a process. This public hearing is the most democratic part of that process.
“The bills before us seek to strengthen funding, build professional capacity, and enhance indigenous research capacity within our premier domestic security agency. No law made in isolation of the people it is meant to serve can stand the test of time. That is why you are here.”
Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, described national security as the foundation of Nigeria’s survival and development.
He said growing threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime and transnational organised crime require increased investment in intelligence, innovation and institutional capacity, urging stakeholders to make meaningful contributions to enrich the legislative process.