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Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards)

Risk assessment, guard force operations, lawful investigation, evidence and reporting, taught for Nigerian law and the international standards clients ask for.

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About this course

Private security is one of Nigeria's biggest employers, and almost nobody is trained for the part of the job that matters: working inside the law, writing things down so they stand up later, and doing only what the risk justifies. This course teaches that discipline from the ground up. You will learn how the industry is regulated in Nigeria under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Private Guard Companies Act, and what a private investigator or guard may and may not do as someone with no police powers. You will learn to assess security risk, design protection in layers, run a guard force with post orders, occurrence books and honest supervision, plan an investigation, research public records and open sources lawfully, interview people fairly, observe without breaking the law, handle evidence so it survives a courtroom, and write a report a lawyer can use. The global layer runs alongside throughout: how the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa license the trade, the ASIS certifications, ISO 31000 and ISO 18788, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights that oil and gas clients require, and the data protection duties of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. It is education, not legal advice, and it is firm about the lines that end careers.

For the third month running, the stock count at Meridian Haulage & Distribution in Ogba does not match the system. Forty cartons of cooking oil, a pallet of detergent, a few phone accessories: never enough to look like a robbery, always enough to hurt. Mr Okafor, the warehouse manager, wants somebody to "plant a camera in the drivers' rest room, tap two phones and catch the thief by Friday". The consultant he has called, Ngozi Adeyemi of Sentinel Risk Advisory, listens, then asks for the gate register, the last six count sheets and the guard roster. There is no stake-out and no disguise. By the end of this course you will understand why she started with paper, and why two of the three things Mr Okafor asked for could have put him in court.

What you'll learn

Course syllabus — 12 lessons

  1. What the work really is15 min
  2. The Nigerian law you work under17 min
  3. Global standards and licences16 min
  4. Security risk assessment: the register before the guards16 min
  5. Physical security in layers: deter, detect, delay, respond16 min
  6. Running a guard force: orders, books and the limits of force17 min
  7. Planning an investigation before you touch it15 min
  8. Records and open sources: what you may look up, and what you may not16 min
  9. Interviews and statements: getting the truth without pressure16 min
  10. Surveillance and fieldwork, lawfully16 min
  11. Evidence and reports that stand up16 min
  12. Ethics, data protection and building a practice17 min

Your project

Your Warehouse Security and Investigation Pack

One document (Google Doc shared with view access, or an uploaded Word or PDF file) with a headed section for each of the six parts. Tables may be in the document or in a linked spreadsheet.

Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, it is graded against a rubric, and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify. See the full project brief, rubric and free workbook →

Frequently asked questions

Is Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards) free?

Yes. Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards) is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards) take to complete?

7 weeks · ~4 hrs/week. There are 12 lessons, about 3 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards)?

Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards)?

You will build practical skills in Nigerian private security regulation (NSCDC, Private Guard Companies Act), The legal limits on investigators and guards, Global standards: ASIS, ISO 31000, ISO 18788, Voluntary Principles, Security risk assessment and risk registers, Physical security in layers and CPTED, Guard force operations: post orders, occurrence books, supervision, Investigation planning and evidence matrices, Lawful records and open-source research, Fair interviewing with the PEACE model, Lawful observation and surveillance logs, Chain of custody and court-ready reports, Data protection under the NDPA 2023 and professional ethics. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Private Investigation & Security Practice (Nigeria & Global Standards)?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — Your Warehouse Security and Investigation Pack and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

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