National Intelligence Agency (Nigeria)
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 5, 1986 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Nigeria |
| Headquarters | Abuja, Nigeria |
| Agency executive | |
| Website | www.nationalintelligenceagency.gov.ng |
The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is a Nigerian government division tasked with overseeing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations.
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–Current |
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
- ^ "National Intelligence Agency (NIA) – Nigeria Intelligence Agencies". FAS Intelligence Resource Program. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
- ^ "About". NIA. Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
- Nigeria: NIA: 20 Years of Service
- Nigeria: The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) At Twenty - A Tribute
Valentine Tobechukwu Achum http://sunnewsonline.com/nia-ecowas-and-nigerias-national-interest/