Nigeria’s worsening insecurity demands new thinking. Traditional policing and military deployment alone cannot cope with the scale, sophistication and spread of kidnapping, banditry and violent crime across the country. In this moment, Nigeria must look beyond conventional state-controlled security and examine a proven African model that works: South Africa’s democratised, technologically advanced private-security industry.
South Africa has 2.4 million licensed private-security officers, employed by more than 10,000 registered companies, all regulated by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA). These officers are not soldiers or police—they are private professionals, armed, trained, vetted and commercially motivated to protect citizens, businesses and communities.
This model has created the largest private-security workforce in the world, larger than South Africa’s military and police combined. It provides constant surveillance, rapid armed response and a high-tech defence network that government alone could never build.
Nigeria, with its population of over 220 million and a police force of fewer than 400,000 officers, must urgently learn from this success.
● South Africa’s Model Works Because It Scales Beyond Government Limits
The strength of the South African system is its scale:
2.4 million security officers, compared to Nigeria’s <400,000 police
Highly regulated through PSIRA
Nationwide presence in neighbourhoods, estates, malls and business districts
Strong reliance on technology and rapid armed response
Hands-on partnership with state police
This democratisation makes security a national workforce, not just a government function. Every street, community and business can hire protection, build surveillance networks and demand performance.
It is a practical acknowledgement that government cannot secure a modern nation alone.
● Technology Is the Spine of Their Security Advantage
Private-security firms in South Africa compete using technology, not bureaucracy. Companies deploy:
Street-level CCTV networks
AI-powered surveillance
Motion and intrusion sensors
Automated vehicle number-plate recognition
Drone patrols in some districts
24/7 control rooms
Armed response teams dispatched in minutes
This is the opposite of slow, centralised state policing.
Private firms must perform or lose clients. Accountability is built into the business model.
In contrast, most Nigerian streets have no CCTV, response times are slow, and security relies on overstretched police units using outdated methods.
● Why Nigeria Needs This Model Now
Nigeria faces an escalating security emergency. Kidnapping has surged, rural banditry persists, and urban crime remains unpredictable. Current limitations include:
A severe shortage of police officers
Limited intelligence gathering
Weak surveillance infrastructure
Overstretched military operations
Poor response times
Insecurity spreading faster than government capacity
By adopting South Africa’s model, Nigeria could immediately strengthen nationwide security coverage without waiting years for police or military expansion.
● Democratised Security = Massive Job Growth
Opening the sector would create an explosive economic opportunity.
Nigeria could immediately absorb five million private-security jobs, drawn from:
unemployed youth
ex-service members
neighbourhood watch networks
trained private recruits
diaspora investors establishing security-tech businesses
These jobs would come with training, discipline, equipment, stable salaries and structured career paths. For many potential bandits, this alternative alone could change destinies.
Criminal manpower would become legitimate security manpower.
● Crime Would Drop Sharply Under This Model
Kidnapping thrives in Nigeria because:
streets are unmonitored
response is slow
intelligence is weak
criminals can move freely
Democratising security disrupts every part of this chain:
CCTV and sensors limit movement
Rapid armed response makes kidnapping risky
Professional guards patrol constantly
Technology captures evidence
Criminal gangs lose manpower and safe routes
South Africa still has crime, but widespread kidnapping syndicates cannot survive one week in an environment with millions of armed, trained private responders and constant surveillance.
● A New Regulatory Body for a New Security Era
Nigeria needs a dedicated regulator — a Nigerian Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (NPSIRA) — modeled after PSIRA. It should enforce:
strict licensing
psychological evaluation
background checks
mandatory training
firearms certification
technology standards
data sharing with police
severe penalties for misconduct
This professional framework keeps standards high and protects citizens from abuse.
● Why the Private Sector Outperforms Government in Security Innovation
Government agencies face:
bureaucracy
slow procurement
political interference
budget delays
Private companies face:
clients
competition
ratings
branding pressure
performance incentives
A private-security company must protect its clients to survive. It is a business. A failing company collapses. A police station does not.
This alone makes private security naturally more responsive and innovative.
● Investors Will Flood In — If Security Is Liberalised
Diaspora Nigerians, international partners and African investors are watching Nigeria’s insecurity with frustration. They are willing to invest in:
AI surveillance
drone monitoring
armored-response fleets
control-room software
neighbourhood technology grids
But they will not risk capital unless private security is legally empowered to operate at scale.
Once liberalised, billions in private investment will follow.
● Lawmakers Must Lead This Debate — Urgently
Security reform is not partisan. Nigeria needs lawmakers from all parties to take responsibility:
Labour Party members who campaigned on innovation
APC lawmakers who have the numbers to pass reform
PDP and minority lawmakers whose constituencies suffer insecurity daily
A Private Security Liberalisation Bill would be one of the most transformative laws in Nigeria’s history.
Conclusion: Nigeria Must Democratise Security — Now
Nigeria cannot secure 220 million people with outdated structures. South Africa proved that private-sector capacity can outmatch state limits while complementing government efforts.
Democratising security will:
drastically reduce kidnapping
create millions of jobs
attract world-class investment
modernise surveillance
empower communities
strengthen national defence
rebuild public confidence
This is a reform Nigeria cannot postpone.
Security must be everyone’s business.
Princess G. A. Adebajo-Fraser MFR.
The National Patriots.
