Security professional training and education has always been a subject of great interest and importance in every country of the world. This is partly because the enterprise of protecting lives of people and their property which affects individuals, families, communities’ group interest, nations and the international community in diverse ways should be handled by competent professionals. Whatever the situations and peculiarities of a nation, there is always the need to plan, organize and administer the security education and training system so that both efficiency and effectiveness can be achieved.

Keywords: training, education, manpower, development, security, personnel, relevance, perspective, plan, organize, professionalism, career orientation, policies

The current emphasis, especially in developing nations like Nigeria, an attempt to strike a reasonable balance between quantitative and qualitative of security education and training system is necessary so as to prioritise opportunities for the professionals. Therefore, it is necessary to examine critically the relevance and perception of Education, Training, and Manpower Development of the next generation of Nigerians in Security Industry. We should bear in mind the key concepts relating to education, training, manpower development, professionalism, career orientation, policies and plans. For all intents and purposes, this topic is steeped in its practicality rather than theorems. The intention of security education and training is to give sufficient exposure that would make a man and society recognize the need for enhanced protection in the society. The paper will look at the importance of the professional security education and training in a formal and informal setting. Education, for our purpose is the training of people with the view to their career growth and development to practice the profession effectively. It may be the process of that training or the outcome and totality of it. The process may be formal as in an institutions or non-formal as in a society at large. The paper will clarify the relevance and adequacy of professionalism in private security practice particularly individual license to practice. Also, the paper will further examine the present level of relevance and perception of professionalism in private security practice.

The mission of security training is to promote excellence in the public safety and private security through the development of professional standards and the delivery of quality service. The paper will examine the present state of the private security practice in Nigeria, the likely problems confronting the profession, the role of the private security Regulatory Architecture and the challenges facing the private security practice structure generally. The paper will consider various suggestions as to how we can reposition the profession for greater efficiency, effectiveness, enhanced productivity as well as render it more competitive in the global best professional practice. It should be committed to the very higher ideals of professionalism and public safety. The emphasis of education may be a process of training or the totality of that training and that it may be formal or non-formal. The security profession cannot allow inexperienced and untrained people to perform security duties which call for competence and special professional skills. The Security practitioner is a person professionally trained and qualified to practice security in Nigeria. Indeed the line of work of a qualified security practitioner can engage in numerous specialised tasks in protection and safety.

In Nigeria, security education and training is essential and can be practice effectively as a profession. The benefit of this approach is apparent as it is beneficial. The professional and competency training provide knowledge and skills which show a better appreciation and understanding of the issues in the practice. The training will inculcate into the practitioner the habit of professionalism throughout his security career.

Concept of security: Security is the protection of assets including people against damage, injury or loss from internal and external causes.¹ Albert also defines security as the survival of the state and the protection of individuals and groups within the state. This we can infer from the above definition that the sovereignty of a nation, state may be determine by their ability to safe guard citizens and her resources against any attack be it from within or outside the state territory. Security in another view is the state of being safe and protected. It is the provision for a sense of protection against loss, damage or harm of both non-living entities and living or man. There are two main divisions of the security industry: public and private.

Public security: Public security agencies are those groups that perform a security function but are funded exclusively by governments in the interest of public service which include federal, state and local government patronage.

Private security: Private security is different from public security in several significant ways. Private security is provided to clients for a fee and except in special circumstances has its jurisdiction limited to the property owned by the client. Security is provided to protect the interest of clients. Private security includes measures taken by individuals, partnerships, and corporations designed to protect their interest such as property, personnel and information. Private security firms also operate independently of the policies of the host company.

There are shortcomings in the practice of security in Nigeria, particularly in the private sector. The standard of every facet of security practice is falling. In the private security sector, there is a departure from professionalism in the personnel, material and management of resources because of the attitudes of the decision makers and the field players. These attitudes include the deliberate creation of a hostile work environment as a result of factors which include employment of unqualified and incompetent persons to perform specialised tasks which require competency and special training. This paper will justify the need for reforms in the private security sector. The need for the reform is perceived by the challenges posed by the inadequacies and shortcomings in the practice of private security sectors. The remedial approach showed that the new generation of security and safety practitioner, be better prepared to discharge his duties professionally and effectively. There is the need for enhanced performance and productivity. There is no doubt that security at the macro-level qualified as a profession. This is pronounced in the components of national and multi-track security agencies such as Army, Navy, Air Force, the Police force, Customs, Immigration, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

In each of the above public security agencies, relevant professional knowledge and skills are required to accomplish the assigned roles. Those skills are acquired through vigorous professional training. In addition to the programmed rigorous training, members of each organisation are required to observe certain laid down ethics. In order to ensure strict compliance with the ethics of the profession, a body is put in place to regulate the activities of the organisation. However, at the micro-level of security practice, corporate and individuals are related to private security practice. The paper will be concerned with the private security practice in Nigeria.

The present training process need for serious reflection

In the present situation, a security practitioner with degree or diploma and some military or paramilitary certificate go straight away to register a Security Company, license it and start practicing security. Also, employees are recruited into security companies without adequate basic security training. This weakness and inadequacies result in massive loss of lives, property, environmental damage, economic hardship and financial losses. The effect of poor understanding and absence of best practice of set performance benchmarks for evaluating assessing and investigating riche specific security operational risks is now more glaring especially in the modern security system. Is he actually equip and qualify to practice security without any formal training?

However, this is a matter of concern in Nigeria. In a situation where formal training and pupilage is not compulsory for new entrants to practice without any formal training and license, there will be problems of low standard of professional practice. As a result of this, it may be argued that the standard of the profession will suffer because of the lack of relevant experience by the new entrants in security practice. The lack of experience can lead to the occurrence of clumsy and substandard performance which could result in serious mistakes and inadequate professional practice. It can also cause reduced self confidence, which in turn decrease motivation and morale.

Professionalization and private security practice

Conceptual and theoretical clarification

By definition, a profession is an ideal type of occupational institution with a limited number of occupations or vocations involving special learning which carries so much social prestige. Functionally, defines it as a calling based on a foundation of knowledge towards a clientele and members of the profession. This is in agreement with Carr-Saunders’ definition, which notes that profession is an occupation based upon specialized intellectual study ad training, the purpose of which is to supply skilled service or advice to others for a definite fee or salary. Professionalism simply refers to the ethos or expected standard of behaviours and performance of the professionals. It includes: the character, spirit and methods to distinguish a professional from an amateur. The fact is that a professional status confers on the practitioners’ notable benefits such as better public perception of the status of that profession to be higher than that of just a job. There is the need to note that occupational prestige accorded to a specified stratum within specific occupation by the general public. Another benefit of professionalization to a job-holder is that of improved is that of deriving from the profession higher degree of bargaining furthermore, professionals control entry into the profession, limit entry as a form of social control which in apparent scarcity and the attendant prestige. This bestows on them, power to apply the law of demand and supply.

Professional structural attributes

For a job or occupation to be accorded a professional status, the following factor must be put into consideration:

1. It must be a fall time occupation; the practitioners should strictly devote and commit him to the job as a life-lovely career.
2. There must be established and duly accredited institutions for the training of the members of the profession.
3. Every profession must have a professional association of member who must be dignifying following special type of qualifications and license to practice the profession.
4. Members must put in place a regulatory code of ethics, and these are invariably enforced by the professional associations.
5. The professional body nurtures a clientele who has no choice but to accede to the professional judgment. In other words, clients are controlled by the professions approved stipulations with logical towards the practice and principles.

The professional attitudinal features

The attitudinal attributes of a profession comprises the following:

1. Expertise: The Practice of a profession is rooted in a foundation of knowledge organized into an internally consistent function in the relevant body of knowledge.
2. Display of authority: The authority is derived from the professional expertise. This is variously known as “authority of competence, authority of knowledge”. It is his unique authority that highlights the layman’s comparative ignorance.
3. Self-regulation: Essentially, the professional does not subscribe to snoopy bossing given the fact that he/she is a knowledgeable expert. He/she accepts collegial control. Basically, a professional must have the ability to make decisions without external pressure. His/her resource is to the professional association as a major reference.

Process of professionalization

Professionalization is a process towards professionalism. It is a progression from the periphery towards the idea type of occupation. The process of professionalization involves the following:

1. Development of specialized skills and training such that the language of the profession sounds esoteric to the “uninitiated”
2. Establishment of regulations, rules governing the profession
3. Code of conduct
4. Fees etc.
5. Formation of professional associations who has defined labour relationship career or occupational lives, individual and group-worth mastery of operating sentiments.

Training and education techniques in security

Training may be achieved by using a number of techniques that are adaptable to specific needs Akinade A.²

1. Classroom: Training individual’s classroom style has many advantages. One instructor can provide training to many learners at the same time wide numerous learning aids including lecturers, discussions, films, videotapes,. Computer aided demonstration and role playing.
2. On-The Job Training: This type of training occurs while employees perform actual job related activities.
3. Computer Aided Instructions: Computer based leaving has had a substantial influence on the training process in recent years.
4. Audio Visual Materials: Security management facilities may possess rich resources of films and tapes for training and educational purposes. Audio visual resources can enlighten classroom learning and may also be incorporated into computer aided instruction.^3–5
5. Demonstrations: Demonstration training is usually carried but when there is acquisition of new products, system and software. Demonstration may be incorporated into classroom training as well.
6. Role Playing: A leader may demonstrate a particular situation to a group and then ask member of the group to improvise the scenario.

Teaching strategies: Teaching strategies used in the security training programs fall under three broad Categories: lecturing, questioning, coaching and facilitating:

1. Lecturing includes the things that teachers do to tell about things that they know through some form of teacher presentation, usually in didactic lecture student learn by listening, reading, taking note and asking questions.
2. Questioning include the things that teachers do to stimulate student thinking by asking questions. Students learn by problem solving individually or in groups and articulating or demonstrating response.
3. Coaching and Facilitating include those things that teachers do to guide and encourage student effort by demonstrating, modeling, making suggestions, supporting and providing feedback. Students learn by watching, practicing, revising based on feedback and suggestions and developing skill and competence.

Instructional method/learning activities used in security program are eclectic by design, recognizing that student have different learning styles, specific methods or activities are selected by both the academic and fieldwork experiences to help the students achieve learning objectives related to the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes. These include:

1. Large group teaching (lectures, presentations, videos, demonstrations)
2. Seminars (small group discussions, brainstorming, problem-solving exercise)
3. Tutorial (case study, problem-solving activities, role playing, playing, guided study)
4. Laboratory session (hands-on learning, practice skill)
5. Independent study (reading, resource seeking, self directed reflection/analysis & relate seeking/information searching)
6. Experiential learning (involvement in a concrete or personal experience, reflect & relate to concept or principle studying)
7. Problem-based learning model (used of learning scenarios & small groups as a means to acquire new knowledge & develop process/clinical reasoning skills
8. Simulated client interaction (hand-on learning in a simulated environment with a simulated client. Used in the classroom and for evaluation purpose)
9. Fieldwork (hands-on learning in an authentic work environment, experience includes all or some of the teaching methods and learning activities noted above).

Student action or behaviours

 It occurs in response to the teaching approach and instruction design employed. The security training programs expectation of each student is that he/she actively participate in his/her learning.^6–8 The Figure summarizes element within the education approach that interact to transform student knowledge, skills and attitudes. The circle depicting the actions of students is highlighted in the diagram to acknowledge the paramount importance of students’ active participation in their learning and in the development as professionals (Figure 1).

Figure 1 It shows that Student Action or Behaviours.

Fostering and mentoring in security professional practice

Training and retraining coupled with carefully planned mentoring scheme play crucial role in sustaining professional growth and development in security practice and organizations.⁹ Mentoring occurs usually when an experienced member of the profession assist others to grow and understand the rudiment of the security practice. Indeed, several well-organised profession models rely on the tradition of training and transferring skills to younger members of the profession.¹⁰ Besides, under a mentoring arrangement, both partners benefit, indicating that the best way to learn is to assist in the development and teaching of others in the skills of practice of profession. Mentoring takes place in all well-organized professional practice whether it is adopted as a policy or not. According to experts, modern day mentoring scheme entails absorbing the culture and perceived values of the profession through interactions with members.¹¹ According to experts, the following factors are some of the reasons established professions adopt mentoring as training programmes:

1. Inductions to help new recruits, trainees or graduates settle into the organization,
2. Skills enhancement, to enable skills to pass on in the workplace by experienced, highly competent staff to others who need to acquire specified skills’
3. Career development, to help staff in the planning, development and management of their careers and to help them become more resilient in times of change, more self-reliant in their careers and self-directed learners.
4. Affirmative action, to assist aggrieved subordinate staff to redress the imbalance at higher levels in organizations, provide support and help overcome barriers that often block their progress,
5. Leadership and management development, to encourage the development of competences more easily gained through example, guided practice or experience than by education and training,
6. Education supports, to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Formal education or training is complemented by the knowledge and the hands-on experience of a competence practitioner,
7. Organizational development and culture change, to share the values, vision and mission of the organization. To communicate and work on a one-to-one basis to develop required changes, and
8. Customer service, to model desired behaviours, encourage the development of competences, motivate for service quality, and above all to cultivate the right attitudes, among others.

Need for mentorship in professional training for enhanced services and performance

The function of professional training is to empower an individual with practical training that will enable him or her to competently provide security and safety services.¹² Professional training is necessary because it enables the student-in-training to obtain a measure of experience of the issues involved in professional practice. It aims to provide the required high standards that are necessary in the security and safety profession. After a security practitioner in training has acquired sufficient knowledge and experience in security and safety practice, he or she should be able to advance on the next step which is the application of gained knowledge and the attainment of further experience that his or her security and safety duties would bring forth, such as self confidence and there be handling of professional issues independently.^13,14 Security practitioner in training should be mentored and nurtured by a highly experienced practitioner to gain a high standard of professional experience. The maintenance of high standard and quality performance is extensively important and vital for the future of the next generation security and safety practitioners. Mentorship is highly important so that the practitioners’ in-training can ascertain where their faults or mistakes and advance reside. Thus, any training must include a sort of assessment and interaction which will assist in structuring their disadvantages to advantages and their wrong faults to positive performance. Without this assessment the security trainee can be considered deficient. This aspect of professional training method is highly advantageous to all security systems because it provides a sort of latency period for the new practitioners, where the trainee put into practice their professional experience. The pupilage aids in the maintenance of standards because through it newly security practitioners are able to perfect their acquired knowledge and skill before recruiting into real security practice.

Effective mentoring programme are goal-oriented and focus on the trainee’s skill. Knowledge, and/or attitude development.¹⁵ It is very important that the trainee to have plan of development before they come into contact with a mentors. It is believed that people learn best by observing experts and by being given assignments. One of the main role and responsibility of the mentor is to review the progress of the trainee and to keep him accountable for what he does. Mentoring is a mutually beneficial arrangement because both the mentor and the trainee benefit from the exercise. As far as the trainee is concerned, he will be able to tap into the rich experience and teaching strategies of the mentor. Enforcement of morals and professional ethics involve use of law to make effective standards of good behaviour by all professional personnel of security and law enforcement. Heavy responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the leaders of security profession and law enforcement agencies. Professional mentoring is an active social intervention associated with a wide range of beneficial outcomes for young people.^16–18 Supportive relationships with non-parental adults can have a powerful and positive influence on the course of young people’s lives.

Practical demonstration in the training programme

Practical Demonstration Training Programme is for the maintenance of standards in security practice in Nigeria. There has been a major concern in the country’s private security practice. The complaints in many quarters are of perceived fallen standards in security practice. There are many reasons for this steering from the societal values of trying to reach the top or rich quickly as possible. As an integral part of training, there is the need to have in security training courses, practical professional exposure in the Public Security Agencies and Private Security firm. This programme will enable the student trainee understudy security processes, procedures, mannerisms and observation of the practice in action. This aspect of security education represents the point of contact between experienced practitioners and security trainees and protective actions. The importance of practical professional exposure cannot therefore be underestimated. During the period of training, there should be extensive interaction and very lively sessions between experienced security practitioners which will be beneficial to all the parties concerned. It is suggested that since not all private security firms are fully equipped for security practical exposure programme, a refreshed list of security firms must be prepared for physical inspection of facilities and a project report on the practical experience be submitted. This programme must be undertaken by all professional security trainees as a matter of compulsion and a feedback should be in the firm of report as to the outcome of the programme. This practical programme should be an accepted tradition or norm that every trained person to be a professional security practitioner should venture into the practice of security after understudying a professional practical demonstration programme in a recognized public security agencies or private security firm. This tradition will ensure the maintenance of standards in the profession. There should be a piece of legislation that would enforce professional practical experience in the security profession.

The future of the security professionals particularly its survival is linked to the quality of security education and training received by the practitioners in their formative years, precisely in the University and professional institutes. The complaints that standards of every facet of security practice is falling is real. The solution does not just lie in vowing to arrest the deteriorating situation. There must be an assessment of the scope of the damage to our security system before we can mete out remedial action. Anything short is illusory and will not serve the security profession well. The Institute of Security Nigeria appreciates that there are shortcomings in the practice of security particularly in the private sector. What it does not know especially is the scope and the magnitude of the problems and contributory factors to the falling standard. There is therefore a compelling urgent need not only to return to the basics but to advance the frontiers of security education and training by embracing modern techniques. There is the need to evaluate the curriculum for the training and to confirm as to whether the current curriculum is in line with the global best practice. The substance of a robust and clearly articulated security education and training curricular is of paramount interest to the Nigerian public. From time immemorial, the nature of threats to human life and well-being has continually changed and so have emerged strategies for dealing with them particularly in security field. The demands for improved security practice increased with advances in knowledge, research and new discoveries. The influence of philosophers and other great thinkers on an increasingly enlightened knowledge and skill, which facilitate innovations in the profession. There will always be the need and a place for security professionals highly skilled in the profession with a well equipped and conducive environment for practice.

There is the need for repositioning and professionalizing the private security practice and appropriate regulation introduced into the practice for enhanced performance and productivity. It is vital for the government to introduce some professional changes which should include introduction of mandatory training requirement for all security guards, officers and managers to license before practice. The aim of this legislation is to increase the professional, knowledge and skilled - base of the individuals thereby increasing the level of safety enjoyed by both the practitioner and the public. The professional positions of the future security practitioners should be determined. What are the prospects of practice in developing countries like Nigeria? Our current situation, especially in the developing world still seems grim, but not hopeless. Nonetheless, it is vital to call your attention to the following essential points for deep reflection:

1. The private security industry should be made to be:

1. Attractive to skilled labour.
2. Make integrity the watchword of the industry in order to gain the trust of the public.
3. Ensure competence for enhance service delivery.

1. A system that is driven by the following virtues and qualities be initiated in the practice of security:

1. Attractiveness: To make the private security guard industry more competitive in Nigeria so that it will attract ONLY professionals.
2. Integrity: To evolve a systematic way of regulating the manpower of private security guard industry in order to earn the trust of clients and ensure integrity.
3. Competence: To introduce a system of continuous training and retraining of private guards in order to ensure competence and professionalism.

Modern professional security practice continues its onward march world-wide. We must not lose our focus. Security professional must be acclaimed on their contribution to their new ideas in protection service, research, scientific and technological discussion not merely for their technical operative skills. Optimum security service must be maintained and carried on in future by the new generation of security professionals. Members of the profession should be vision and leaders who work in an environment characterized by cooperation, collaboration, open communication and respect for all public safety and private security professional. Through training, technology career development and collaboration and integration with other public safety disc8plines, the overall quality and performance of private security professionals will become more responsive to security challenges in the nation. This will increase the number of qualified, high-caliber people who choose private security as a career and to increase the levels of professional employee retention indict-wide. Bridging the knowledge and skill gaps through training in corporate, governance, capacity building, consultancy, standardization, advocacy and proffering on life, Fire and Safety Security Risk management, is thus a strategic decision particularly important for compliance regulation, Business Continuity and Sustainable Development. The key to success in security profession lies principally in EDUCATION AND TRAINING. The key opens the door to new knowledge, skill, new ideas, meaningful research, innovations, total commitment to the case of security and safety of people, teamwork, honesty, integrity and transparency. It empowers the people through a total commitment to their education and training and the eradication of ignorance. Selfless and visionary leadership would at least provide the much sought-after behavioural role model, as well as the physical and infrastructural and human resources development (HRD) without which all other efforts fail. That key is certainly embodied in "TRAINING AND EDUCATION”. As a matter of fact, the key opens the door to good professional performance, effectiveness, efficiency and productivity for the future generation of security practitioners.

None

The author declares there are no conflicts of interest.

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