By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Department of State Services (DSS) has endorsed a bill seeking to establish a dedicated Trust Fund for the agency but is urging lawmakers to remove provisions allowing foreign funding and amend key governance and funding clauses.
The position was presented on Thursday during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on three security-related bills, including the Department of State Services Trust Fund Bill (HB.2178) and the Strategic Intelligence Management Institute Bill (HB.2589).
In his submission, the DG, DSS, represented by Emmanuel Daubry said the proposed Trust Fund would provide sustainable financing for intelligence gathering, counterterrorism operations and other national security activities while enabling faster responses to security threats and reducing delays associated with conventional budgetary processes.
However, the Service opposed a provision allowing grants and donations from international organisations, warning that foreign funding could expose sensitive intelligence operations to external influence and compromise national security.
According to the DSS, “Allowing foreign funding for a security-related Trust Fund raises serious concerns relating to sovereignty, operational confidentiality, and institutional independence.”
The agency also called for a clearer funding formula for the Trust Fund, arguing that leaving annual contributions to the discretion of the National Assembly could create uncertainty.
It further proposed changes to the composition of the governing board, including the inclusion of a representative nominated by the Nigerian Bar Association with expertise in national security and human rights.
While supporting the overall objective of the legislation, the DSS urged lawmakers to amend the bill’s title, governance provisions and funding structure before passage.
On the proposed Strategic Intelligence Management Institute, the Service warned that its functions could overlap with those of the National Institute for Security Studies.
It recommended refocusing the institute on external intelligence and international intelligence cooperation to avoid duplication and strengthen the mandate of the National Intelligence Agency.
Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Rep. Ahmed Satomi, said the three bills under consideration are designed to strengthen the operational capacity of the DSS through sustainable funding, professional intelligence training and indigenous research.
According to him, the measures are complementary and aimed at improving Nigeria’s intelligence architecture through enhanced funding, capacity building and technological development.
Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, described national security as the foundation for Nigeria’s development, stressing that modern threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and cybercrime require sustained investment in intelligence, research and institutional capacity.
The bills before the House include 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).
