A leading government’s coordinating agency for the delivery of official development assistance, focusing upon economic and social development in developing countries, needed to understand evolving political and security threats in Nigeria and prepare security strategies to better protect its staff and assure its delivery programmes. Insecurity threatened its international cooperation activities and inhibited inclusive and dynamic development.
IAS Bespoke Reporting
background
The coordinating agency has overseas offices in more than 80
countries and investments in more than 200 countries. Despite its vast
international experience and track record of working in Nigeria (including in
the conflict-affected north-eastern region), it felt it needed impartial and
detailed local understanding of conflict dynamics and comprehensive expertise
in mitigating risk in the local environment. G4S has businesses in more than 90
countries around the world – including Nigeria - and this provides us
unparalleled access to ‘ground truth’ and security management expertise.
Outcome
From 2016-18 the coordinating agency was able to make informed decisions contributing to improved staff safety and assured development assistance support to numerous Nigerian-based projects. In close collaboration with the coordinating agency we were able to tailor reporting to more precisely reflect the client’s needs and objectives.
Services Delivered
- Weekly security and political review for Nigeria
- Monthly security and political review and outlook for Nigeria
- Monthly security and political review for West Africa
Method
We produced weekly reports covering security incidents and developments in Nigeria on a regional level. Compilation drew on our Global Intelligence System (GIS), open source research and networks in Nigeria. Each report included trend analysis as well as key indicators and triggers identified by experienced analysts to allow the client to identify points at which decisions would need to be made. Scenario-based forecasting and mitigation measures for the risks identified and the provision of appropriate recommendations were provided to best support the client in its decision-making process and assist in keeping its people safe.
We complemented the weekly report with a monthly summary, with additional analysis to place the month’s events into context and provide forecasting for the month ahead. The reports drew on advanced open source information collection methods and techniques, supported by in-country source information wherever available.
We also produced a West Africa Regional Review, covering security and political developments in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries, and potential impacts on JICA operations. The report provided in-depth analysis on Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire, allowing JICA to understand the strategic threats and political developments, and the impact of such developments on their operations. The report identified threats and provided insights into the operating environment for international aid agencies, allowing JICA to understand their unique exposure and profile in operating in West Africa.
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