Are you interested in DSS Nigeria training? In this article, I’ll be covering everything you need to know about the training of the state security service of Nigeria.
About DSS
DSS (Department of State Services) is a Nigerian security agency. The agency replaced the National Security Organisation in 1986 during the days of military rulership. DSS operates under the authority of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They report to the NSA (National Security Adviser) to the President which means they’re under the Ministry of Defence.
General Ibrahim Babangida created the Department of State Services after assuming power. He created the DSS along with the Defence Intelligence Service (DIS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) from the NSO. The duty of the DSS is to prevent crime against the internal security of Nigeria, protect classified matters, and provide security for Nigeria’s government functionalities, among others.
What is DSS training?
As it is with every other force or security agency in Nigeria, DSS training is training for new DSS recruits. There are a lot of things involved with DSS training. As a new recruit, you receive both classroom and practical training. Practical training has to do with on-field training which includes firearms training, defence training, making arrests, and others. Usually, this is done with mock criminal scenes or circumstances.
On the other part, for classroom training, you get to learn the laws, procedures, and protocols that DSS agents abide by. DSS training usually takes place at DSS centres and office locations all over Nigeria. There’s at least one DSS office in every state in Nigeria. To qualify for DSS training, you need to first apply, pass the screening, and qualify for recruitment. DSS has many screening requirements that you must meet to qualify.
How to join DSS in Nigeria?
To join DSS in Nigeria, you need to register for DSS recruitment. From time to time, the DSS opens their window for new recruits; however, this is not every year. DSS can also recruit more than once in a year. Based on the high-level of their operations, the DSS recruitment process is very strict; like that of the Nigerian Army.
Unlike many other force recruitments, you don’t register for DSS recruitment online. However, you’ll have to visit their website once the news of recruitment is out to get information on how to apply. Typically, you’ll have to submit the recruitment requirements in person at the DSS recruitment centre.
It’s important to note that applying for DSS recruitment requirements is free. Anyone asking you to pay money is either trying to scam you or is requesting for bribe which is illegal.
How long is DSS training in Nigeria?
There’s no straight-up duration of DSS training in Nigeria. It’s different for different training centers. However, you should expect DSS training to take a long time. Considering all the things new recruits have to learn, DSS training can take more than a year to complete.
We can draw inferences from other widely known Nigerian force trainings. For example, the Nigerian Police Force takes about 18 months to train new recruits. For the Nigerian Army, you have to attend the National Defence Academy (NDA) which takes about 5 years to complete. After that, you still undergo a training of about 6 months if you pass the screen.
Turning to the maritime force, the Nigerian Navy training takes about 9 months to complete. Hence, it’s clear that these trainings take very long. Since the DSS is more or less a private national security agency, it’s normal for their training to take even longer.
What are the requirements for DSS training?
To qualify for DSS recruitment and training, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be at least 1.7 meters tall as a male applicant.
- You must be at least 1.64 meters tall as a female applicant. As a female, you can’t apply if you’re pregnant
- You must be a Nigerian citizen by birth or have Nigerian parents. You can’t join the DSS if you’re a foreigner in Nigeria
- You must have an expanded chest measurement of at least 0.87 meters
- You must obtain certification from a Government Medical Officer
- You should be mentally and physically fit
- You must have no history of criminal record in Nigeria or any other country
- You must be under 30 years of age
- You must have no history of financial embarrassment in Nigeria or any other country
- You must not have any major orthopaedic operations in the past
How much is the DSS salary?
DSS Salary depends on the rank. The current ranks in the DSS include:
- Recruit
- Private
- Lance Corporal
- Corporal
- Sergeant
- Staff Sergeant
- Second Lieutenant
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier General
- Major General
- Lieutenant General
- General
Hence, the General earns the highest, followed by the Lieutenant General, Major General, and so on. As a recruit, you earn the less. At the moment, there’s no public data on the salary of DSS officers in Nigeria. The information is classified. Nevertheless, we can approximate the salary of DSS officers to be around N60,000 to N2 Million Naira per month.
Recruits may earn around N60,000 while the General, sitting at the top can earn up to N2 Million or less. Note, this isn’t official as it’s only an estimate considering the salary of other Nigerian forces.
Bottom Line
If you’ve been looking for information on DSS training, I’m sure you got what you’re looking for in this article and more.