Engaging the Academy to Improve Professionalism in Nigeria’s Intelligence Community

Isa, Awwal (2020) Engaging the Academy to Improve Professionalism in Nigeria’s Intelligence Community. Doctoral thesis, University of Buckingham.

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Abstract

The research aims to promote a multidisciplinary understanding of intelligence issues for the public to become more aware of the issues surrounding the meaning, value, nature and proper use of intelligence. The research focuses on the growth and direction of intelligence education in two Nigerian universities: Novena and Afe Babalola. The primary research question is on the effectiveness of intelligence studies programmes in the two universities and whether they can contribute to the development of professionals ready to serve in the intelligence community. Traditionally, universities cater to the needs of intelligence communities by producing graduates in political science, linguistics or science and engineering. Such education would typically be undertaken before joining the intelligence community. The required competency training usually occurs outside the universities, rather than at the in-house classified environment. The aim of intelligence education is certainly not to provide training in real and actual intelligence tradecraft. Rather, universities intelligence studies programmes aim to contribute and develop public knowledge about the mandates, strategies, structures and functioning of security and intelligence organisations in statecraft. This study is primarily a grounded theory study that utilises the qualitative research approach to evaluate the effectiveness of intelligence studies programmes in Nigeria. The choice of grounded theory is relevant to this study because little is written about the area of study. This work is, therefore, a synoptic analysis of this new reality in a country faced with an unprecedented level of insecurity ranging from Boko Haram in the northeast, Niger Delta militants in the south-south, indigenous people of Biafra known as IPOB in the south-east, and Fulani Herdsmen in the north-west and north-central. Indeed, recent events have confirmed the internationalisation of terrorism and other public safety and national security threats from non-state actors. As a result, the importance of good intelligence has become necessary in the wake of all these crises. This research is based on the hypothesis that improved intelligence education could make a significant contribution to improving Nigeria’s security situation. This research evaluates the quality of intelligence studies programmes in Nigeria. The findings of this research are critical to understanding the effectiveness of the existing intelligence studies in Nigerian universities. Furthermore, the research makes an original contribution to research-based intelligence studies literature in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. In summary, the research thesis aims to fill an academic gap in intelligence studies literature. Intelligence studies should be expected to exert the same degree of critical detachment as their counterparts in other professional programmes.

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