National Intelligence Agency (Nigeria)

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is a Nigerian government division tasked with overseeing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations.

National Intelligence Agency
Agency overview
FormedJune 5, 1986
JurisdictionGovernment of Nigeria
HeadquartersAbuja, Nigeria
Agency executive
Websitewww.nationalintelligenceagency.gov.ng

History

Fulfilling one of the promises made in his first national address as president, in June 1986 Ibrahim Babangida issued Decree Number 19, dissolving the National Security Organization (NSO) and restructuring Nigeria's security services into three separate entities under the Office of the Co-ordinator of National Security.[1][2]

  • State Security Service (SSS) – Responsible for domestic intelligence
  • National Intelligence Agency (NIA) – Responsible for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations
  • Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) – Responsible for military intelligence.

Directors General of the NIA
Directors General of the NIA Term of Service
Chief Albert K. Horsfall 1986–1990
Brigadier-General Haliru Akilu (Rtd) 1990–1993
Ambassador Zakari Y. Ibrahim 1993–1998
Ambassador Godfrey B. Preware 1998–1999
Ambassador Uche O. Okeke 1999–2007
Ambassador Emmanuel E. Imohe 2007–2009 (September, 2009)
Ambassador Olaniyi Oladeji 2009–2013 (October, 2013)
Ambassador Ayo Oke 2013–2017 (October, 2017)
Ahmed Rufai Abubakar 2018–Till-date

Foreign intelligence services

The role and functions of the NIA are roughly equivalent to those of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the United Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Service (the SIS or MI6), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki) (SVR), the Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the French foreign intelligence service Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) and Israel's Mossad. Staff of NIA are regarded to be highly skilled, intelligent and very discreet in their operations. According to Public Policy expert- Valentine Tobechukwu Achum, NIA has a manifest (albeit covert) role of preserving Nigeria’s eminence, pride and dignity through repossessing and intercepting secret information that is capable of imperilling Nigeria's National Interest and breaching its National Security.

References
  1. "National Intelligence Agency (NIA) – Nigeria Intelligence Agencies". FAS Intelligence Resource Program. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
  2. "About". NIA. Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2012-04-10.

    Valentine Tobechukwu Achum http://sunnewsonline.com/nia-ecowas-and-nigerias-national-interest/

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