Security Sector Reform and Democratic Oversight in Nigeria: Assessing the Role of the National Assembly (2019-2024)

This study assesses the capacity of the Nigerian National Assembly to exercise democratic oversight of the security sector between 2019 and 2024. Effective legislative oversight of the military, police, and intelligence services is a fundamental component of democratic consolidation, yet Nigeria's National Assembly has historically demonstrated limited capacity to hold the security sector accountable. The study is anchored on Civil-Military Relations Theory, particularly Samuel Huntington's concept of objective civilian control, which holds that democratic governance requires civilian political authority to exercise meaningful oversight over military institutions. A qualitative research design was employed, drawing on analysis of National Assembly committee reports, defence appropriation debates, and records of security-related legislative hearings. Seven key informants including current and former members of the House of Representatives Defence Committee and security sector reform experts were interviewed. Findings reveal that the National Assembly's defence and security committees have been constrained by classified budget presentations, inadequate security expertise among legislators, and executive dominance over security sector information. The study finds that actual defence expenditures frequently deviate from legislative appropriations by margins exceeding 15 percent without adequate legislative explanation. It further reveals that whistle-blower disclosures of security sector corruption have rarely led to successful legislative investigations. It is concluded that democratic oversight of Nigeria's security sector remains structurally weak. The study recommends mandatory unclassified budget frameworks, legislative security training programmes, and independent parliamentary budget offices.

Keywords: Security sector reform, democratic oversight, National Assembly, civil-military relations, accountability