Barrister N.Salman Mann mni is the Ag. Director of Studies.
She is a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) since 1995, SEC 17, and was a Directing staff from February 2023 to December 202. She is now the Ag. Director of Studies
Admission into the SEC Programme is based on nomination by sponsoring organisations through the Office of the Vice-President and the approval of the President. The SEC programme lasts 10 months from February to November each year. The Course is organized along eight modules as follows: Understanding the Nigerian State; Research Methodology; Policy, Strategy and Leadership; Science, Technology and Innovation; Economic and Management Studies; International Relations Studies; Defence and Security Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.
In addition to the above, compulsory courses in French Language and Computer Appreciation are part of the curriculum.
Participants are divided into study groups each headed by a Directing Staff. The Directing Staff are very senior and highly competent military and para-military officers as well as seasoned academics and technocrats. The very experience and expertise of both in-house experts as well as guest lecturers, drawn from all sectors of society, are tapped to stimulate the thinking of the Participants. Seminars, discussions, group research work and tours feature prominently in the Course. The principle of non-attribution is operated during lectures to provide a free atmosphere for discussions. During each course, tours are undertaken, namely:
The Participants of the SEC programme consist of high level Nigerians drawn from both the public and private sectors of the economy. These include the military and security forces, the civil service at both the federal and state levels, the academia, professional organisations, labour unions, women societies, and other members of the organised private sector. The admission is strictly through nomination by sponsoring organisations and approval by the Office of the President.
A week is set aside during the Course for Sector Specific Measures where heads of respective security agencies are invited to deliver lectures on the role of their organisations on national development as it relates to the theme of the Course. This gives Participants the opportunity to interact with the heads of these agencies which include: Hon. Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General, Defence Intelligence Agency, Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Director General, State Security Services, DG National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller General, Nigeria Prisons Service, Comptroller General, Federal Fire Service, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission, Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
As part of the SEC Programme, a Strategy and Crisis Game is organized to impart into the Participants skills in crisis and conflict management. At the end of the Crisis Game, a Policy Paper based on the outcome of the Game is usually produced and sent to the Federal Government as the Institute’s input to policy direction in the relevant area(s).
At the inception of the Course, each Study Group is assigned one of the sub-themes to conduct an independent research to be presented at the Plenary towards the end of the Course which is referred to as Concluding Seminar. Eminent Scholars are invited to lead discussions on the papers presented by the Participants, with a view to adding value to the papers. The outcome of the Concluding Seminars usually constitutes the highlight of the Report that is presented to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at a Presidential Parley which is normally held annually at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Every year, Participants are made to defend their individual research projects by Panels composed of combined external and internal examiners. Success at the defence, in addition to meeting other set criteria, determine the successful completion or otherwise of the Course programme.