By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – Convener of the National Private Security Conference (NPSC) 2026, Charles Awuzie, has called for urgent policy reforms to enable the integration of private sector intelligence into the country’s national security framework.

Awuzie made the call during a press briefing in Abuja ahead of the maiden edition of the conference. He said Nigeria faces increasingly complex security challenges that require collaboration beyond government institutions, stressing that innovation and partnerships are now critical to safeguarding the nation.

He explained that the conference aims to create a non partisan platform for dialogue, policy engagement, and collaboration among government agencies, private security operators, investors, and technology innovators.

“First, policy is everything. Policy. It starts with policy. It starts with the law. If the law does not allow an integration of private mind intelligence into something as basic as evidence in the courts, then there will be no collaboration.

“I work in the cybersecurity industry. Most times, you see law enforcement tapping into the intelligence derived from our sector. And we present that in courts. We’re able to, it’s admissible in courts”, he said.

The convener noted that beyond policy reform, trust in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence is critical to modernising Nigeria’s security architecture.

Awuzie also stressed that the private security sector should no longer be limited to physical guards, pointing to global trends where technology driven intelligence and forensic expertise play central roles.

“See, we are not discussing private guards again. The reduction of the private security industry in Nigeria to just private guards, that era is over. That era is over. We can see private security practitioners driving blockchain forensics to trace the funding of terrorism. We want to see more dark web forensic experts setting up massive private security investigation companies in this country”, he added.

He further identified data as a critical gap in Nigeria’s security system, warning that weak identity systems and porous borders continue to expose the country to threats.

He called for stronger collaboration with government institutions, particularly on border security and national identity management, to curb infiltration and improve intelligence gathering.