ROLE
OF UNIVERSITY IN SECURITY
Over
the years, I have been in the forefront of the campaign for effective
integration of security into all aspects of the socio-economic decision making
in Nigeria for visible transformation of the country. This perception is anchored on my belief that
through concerted efforts in the areas of security research, education and
training Nigeria can emerge not only a leading economy in the world but a power
to be reckoned with.
As an
advocate and promoter of scientific study of security, I am convinced that University
can play a very valuable role in all these areas. In many respects, it is
overdue that universities become directly involved in this subject. For too
long now, in my opinion, security has been assumed to be the exclusive domain
of government authorities to the detriment of nations. But prevention of loss
arising from waste, accident, error, and crime (WAEC) among others is very much
a question of new knowledge; and the research for new understandings relating
workings of the natural world to resources protection, and control of human behaviors
as well as the processes and development of policies, politics,
production/distribution of goods and services, management styles and
institution, and of the goals and effectiveness of communication and
information. All these areas are properly the realm of university enquiry,
study, and teaching.
Not least
among the reasons for university involvement is the increasing importance to
society of, and the increasing demand for, persons with a broad but coherent
security science’s background and the familiarity in social sciences, policy
and business management, who can undertake the loss prevention tasks of the
future while solving the security challenges of today. These people can only come
from universities who have given substantial and deliberate integrated
attention to the issues of security as a topic of scholarly study.
Again,
a university has a distinct advantage over government institutions in
addressing security as a subject for research and training. It can, or should
be able to, call on persons in the front rank of the wide range of areas of
knowledge and professional study needed, not as “hired experts” but as colleagues
involved in the intellectual adventure and as dedicated teachers. The fact that
the Nigerian Institute of Security is in collaboration with the University of
Port Harcourt to support the scientific study of security shows not only the
remarkable cooperation that can be achieved, but that the subject itself is a
satisfying challenge, and is relevant to a very wide range of university
interests.
Not
being tied to a single government organization gives a university freedom and
indeed stimulus to compare and contrast different mechanisms and structures of
security without having to defend any; and to analyze weaknesses and strong
points in the design of security systems as well as in their operations and
management.
Nigeria
has at present three tiers of government and at least five different structures
and styles of security. These provide rich source materials for comparative
studies of the way similar issues are addressed in this country; comparisons
which can then be extended to other countries. Universities can carry out such
comparisons much better than could government agencies, but all of us can
benefit from the results.
A
university also has the luxury of hindsight. It can without defensiveness or
embarrassment examine the past to see what happened after a security breach
occurred, and can analyze what has been learned, if anything, collectively, by
security operatives, administrators, and institutions from their successes and
their mistakes over the past twenty years or more. This is a luxury that is
rarely available to government security practitioners or their institutions,
which commonly have to embark on new security arrangements and maneuverings, in
different locale, before they have to properly solve the current security
challenge or incident.
Sometimes, also government security operatives
and administrators and institutions do not like to point out their own
mistakes. Universities can have fun doing just that. And, certainly, not least
among its advantages, a university has the tremendous stimulus of addressing
these challenging and complex topics in partnership with fresh, inquiring and
critical student minds, who not only view the issues from new angles but who
can bring quite new ideas from which we all benefit.
Universities should aim at promoting,
supporting, and enhancing academic research, technology development, education
and training of higher level security practitioners in all aspects of the
profession. Recently, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja,
granted the country’s first four year bachelor’s degree in criminology and
security studies, and graduate degree study is springing up there and other
schools around the country. The University of Lagos, University of Port Harcourt,
Rivers State University of Science and Technology and a few others also offer
short term part-time and weekend programmes in security and safety. Other
universities are following NOUN’s lead. Ambos Ali University, Ekpoma and Niger
Delta University, Wilberforce Island has recently received approval to offer diploma
and undergraduate programmes in security respectively. These universities are also
expanding their security programmes to include a master’s degree in
security.
On
the other side of the coin, a university, of course, faces some real challenges
in establishing and maintaining, a balanced and effective effort in security
studies and training. Some, that I have noted at the University of Port
Harcourt include:
1. Unbalanced Interests. Despite
good intention at the outset, it requires a lot of work, patience, and tact to
sustain balanced interests from the various disciplines – natural sciences,
social sciences and human sciences, medical/health sciences, political
sciences, legal and economics faculties, computer and management sciences, etc.
This balanced interest will not be obtained and sustained automatically. The
initial enthusiasm wears off, often, when the real difficulties of the subject
become apparent. To keep interests in such a multi-dimensional subject requires
strong drive at the center, and accepted leadership among prima donnas. Part of the
problems have been people not understanding all the roles and specialties, and
what the different departments and faculties bring together
2. Lack of funding for research and
student support. The near absence of funding for security research and student
support has been identified as the major factor militating against security
education in Nigeria. Research cannot be wished away because it provides the
needed vision and directions; it also affords the channel through which past
security challenges are seen; present security challenges are analyzed and
future security challenges are predicted and solutions proffer in a more
scientific manner.
3. As educational and training
institutions, universities will want to produce graduates whose professional
careers lie in security and its administration. There is bound to be a growing
employment market in this subject area. But the whole concept and structure of
security is undergoing legal, institutional and conceptual change. Universities
should be part of this change and universities should provide the new knowledge
that will influence its direction. In some way, presently established security systems
do not serve either the industry, government or the public very well. This is
not a trivial difficulty. Its seriousness is reflected in pure losses and
crimes of diverse dimensions. Once university fully assumes its roles in
security in terms of supply quality personnel and technology the market will
widen and deepen to absorb the products.
4. “Security and its implications”
is a difficult research topic in its own right. It may be looked at as a modern
expression of the dilemma of societal learning and attempts by society to
manage itself, control its actions, protect its resources and preserve its
laws. Such research is essentially a study of ethics, human rights, behavior,
tangible and intangible material ownership and control, and it probes deeply
into the basis of socio-economic concepts and loss control. A different
combination of faculty involvement, intellectual approaches, and leadership may
be needed for research into the philosophy and political ramifications of
security than for research into the practical aspects and application as well
as the training of practitioners.
5. A further immense valuable role
of a university in security is that it provides a focus for students’ actions
and activism on questions having to do with a wide range of security and
societal concerns; and on the relationship between democracy, government,
business and loss control and prevention.
Security
is the livewire of any nation. Once national security is threatened the country
crawls; once national security is breached the country collapsed. But the good
news is that, once national security is strengthened the economy grows and the
nation becomes powerful and respected and the citizenry becomes prosperous and
happy. The level of any nation’s development is dependent on its quality of
security operatives, administrators, institutions and technology. Above all,
the skills, expertise, know-how and technology needed to keep the security
mechanism functioning properly are the products of university research,
education and training.
The
Nigerian security industry must be professionally driven and technologically
propelled. And it is the responsibility of the university system to provide the
intellectual capacity and the technological platform or knowhow. Commerce and
industry must receive strong university support to design, manufacture, and
market and manage both tangible and intangible security resources for efficient
and effective protection of lives and properties and prevention of losses for
the betterment of mankind.
Security
is everybody’s business but the role of the university in security cannot be
overemphasized. Besides, security is too important a business to be left in the
hands of government agents and agencies alone.
It is my humble submission that through concerted efforts in the areas
of security research, education and training the roles of universities in
security will become visible to all, appreciated by all and the nation will be
better for it through robust economy and peaceful coexistence.
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