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According to the latest World Security Report, commissioned by Allied Universal® and its international business G4S, economic instability, insider threats, fraud, executive safety risks and possible civil unrest have emerged as Nigeria’s biggest corporate security challenges. About 2,352 Chief Security Officers (CSOs) from major corporations across 31 countries, alongside 200 global institutional investors managing over $1 trillion in assets, painted a clear picture of Nigeria’s evolving corporate security landscape amid growing economic pressures and social unrest. The report however stated that African businesses are already preparing to stay ahead of emerging risks, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes
The latest World Security Report, commissioned by Allied Universal® and its international business G4S, offers one of the clearest portraits yet of Nigeria’s fast-changing corporate security landscape, a picture defined by economic turbulence, social strain and a growing commitment to resilience.
Based on a rigorous global survey of 2,352 Chief Security Officers (CSOs) from major corporations across 31 countries, together with 200 institutional investors managing over $1 trillion in assets, the report underscores a hard truth: financially motivated threats now dominate Nigeria’s risk horizon.
As the country navigates inflationary pressures, weak consumer confidence and pockets of unrest, its business leaders are bracing for a volatile 2026, but also investing heavily in smarter, technology-driven protection.
Financial Pressures Driving Threats
Nearly half of Nigerian CSOs, just about 47 per cent, believe that economic instability will have a significant impact on corporate security in 2026, up from 40 per cent in 2024. This sentiment mirrors the regional pattern across Sub-Saharan Africa, where economic turbulence tops the list of hazards that could disrupt business operations.
The report shows that fraud remains the most anticipated external threat, with 30 per cent of global CSOs predicting its impact will grow, up from 25 per cent in 2023. In Nigeria, this trend is amplified: half of the security leaders surveyed expect external fraud incidents, while 41 per cent fear insider fraud, both higher than any other region.
It’s not hard to see why. The combination of currency pressures, staff financial dissatisfaction and rising living costs has created fertile ground for opportunistic and insider-driven crimes.
“Fraud remains the dominant challenge, but investment in smart security infrastructure and AI-powered surveillance shows that African businesses are preparing to stay ahead of emerging risks,” says Christo Terblanche, Regional President of G4S Africa.
Inside the Workforce: Dissatisfaction and Debt
If fraud is the external menace, then financial dissatisfaction among staff is the internal spark. The report highlights that 55 per cent of Nigerian CSOs identify low pay and the absence of incentives as the top driver of insider threats, a figure that outpaces every other global region.
Globally, 37 per cent of CSOs attribute insider risk to financial stress or personal debt, and 36 per cent to low pay or poor motivation. The trend is unmistakable: economic hardship is eroding employee loyalty and feeding risk from within.
“Misinformation and external radicalisation are emerging new triggers,” the report warns, noting that 39 per cent of CSOs worldwide cite social-media-fuelled misinformation as a factor in insider behaviour.
Across Africa, these internal and external pressures are converging. Companies now face not just cyber intrusion or physical theft, but also the possibility of disgruntled insiders leaking data, facilitating fraud or undermining business integrity for short-term financial gain.
Activist Risks and Civil Unrest on the Rise
Nigeria’s volatile socio-economic backdrop is also shaping its threat matrix in less predictable ways. According to the World Security Report 2025, 86 per cent of Nigerian CSOs now cite activist groups and civil unrest as growing security threats, echoing investor sentiment that the continent’s protest movements increasingly pose physical risks to executives and assets.
Globally, 85 per cent of institutional investors agree that activist movements are a major source of physical security concern. The link between economic hardship, online mobilisation and social agitation has become unmistakable.
“Misinformation and disinformation motivate at least half of the threat actors targeting businesses,” the report notes. Across the world, 73 per cent of companies say they have already been targeted by such campaigns, often igniting unrest or reputational harm in real time.
In a country where politics and policy debates play out as passionately on the streets as online, corporate leaders are discovering that security now means managing both physical vulnerabilities and digital narratives.
The Executive Protection Imperative
The threat to senior company executives has increased sharply, both globally and in Africa. Forty-two per cent of CSOs worldwide report a rise in violence towards company leaders, while 97 per cent of institutional investors say they expect firms they invest in to provide physical protection for executives.
As business polarisation deepens, Nigeria’s boardrooms are not exempt. Activist targeting, online abuse and the symbolic value of high-profile figures have made personal safety a board-level discussion.
Globally, enhanced security procedures, risk assessments and online threat monitoring are now the top three strategies adopted by firms. Forty-nine per cent of companies have strengthened executive security procedures; 45 per cent now conduct pre-event or travel risk assessments; and 44 per cent routinely monitor online threats.
Investors view these precautions as directly linked to market value. The report warns that a significant security breach, internal or external, could reduce a publicly listed company’s valuation by an average of 32 per cent, up from 29 per cent in 2023.
Budget Surge: Nigeria Leads Global Spending Plans
Amid all this volatility, Nigerian companies are distinguishing themselves for their proactive stance. While the global average of CSOs expecting to increase their physical security budgets stands at 66 per cent, a striking 90 per cent of Nigerian security chiefs plan to raise spending in 2026.
This reflects both necessity and strategic intent. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, fraud, theft and supply-chain attacks are the biggest budget drivers, influencing more than 60 per cent of spending decisions.
Globally, companies lost an average of $9 million in revenue following security incidents last year, and 26 per cent of firms reported measurable financial losses after internal or external breaches.
Security investment priorities are also shifting. Forty-seven per cent of CSOs plan to channel funds into new security technology and infrastructure, 45 per cent into employee training and upskilling, and 44 per cent into advanced risk assessments and threat intelligence.
The report emphasises that firms partnering with a single, comprehensive third-party security provider for 80 per cent or more of their needs experience fewer incidents and show greater confidence in crisis response (79 per cent versus 51 per cent among firms with low vendor involvement).
The Rise of AI and Smart Security
Technology is reshaping the field faster than ever before. The World Security Report reveals that 71 per cent of CSOs globally already use artificial intelligence for surveillance and monitoring, and 69 per cent employ AI-driven tools for access control and identity verification.
Looking ahead, 45 per cent rank AI-powered video surveillance and analytics as their top priority for investment, followed closely by AI-driven threat detection and perimeter security (44 per cent).
For Nigerian businesses grappling with resource constraints, such technologies offer the promise of scalability, delivering 24-hour vigilance while reducing dependency on manpower.
Yet, the report cautions, AI is not a replacement for human expertise. As one security executive notes: “You can have all the technology in the world, but if you don’t have the correct processes and skilled people, your execution will fail.”
Allied Universal’s own analysis aligns with that sentiment. Despite the rise of smart systems, 87 per cent of CSOs still believe frontline security professionals “will always play an integral role” in protecting organisations.
Building a Security Culture
Ultimately, the report’s strongest message is that security has become a strategic value driver, not just a cost centre. Both CSOs and institutional investors view physical protection as critical to corporate performance and reputation.
In Nigeria, where political transitions, misinformation and economic inequality converge, companies are learning that resilience begins with culture. Training, workforce support and leadership protection now form a single continuum of defence.
Globally, 64 per cent of CSOs say they already have a strong or well-adopted security culture, while those with robust practices are significantly more confident in handling both internal and external incidents.
As the report’s introduction observes, “Cohesion feels more elusive, trust in authorities continues to erode, and significant economic pressures persist.” Against that backdrop, Nigeria’s private sector is being forced to think differently, not just about fences and firewalls, but about people, purpose and preparedness.
Towards 2026: The New Security Equation
Nigeria’s story within the World Security Report is one of duality: rising threats alongside rising readiness. Economic instability, employee dissatisfaction and activist risk are real and growing, but so too is the country’s determination to modernise its defences and professionalise its security sector.
As firms expand investments in AI-assisted monitoring, executive protection and workforce resilience, a new paradigm is taking shape, one in which corporate security is as much about anticipating economic behaviour as about preventing physical breaches. It’s a transformation that will define the next decade of business in Nigeria.
As Christo Terblanche concludes: “African businesses are not waiting to be overwhelmed by the next crisis. They are investing, innovating and preparing, proving that smart security is not just protection, but performance.”
