Security and Medical Assistance in Nigeria: An Uncommon Approach

Assuming that Nigeria boasts a robust, and even saturated, security industry would be understandable. However, it only takes a look into recent history to explain why this sector is largely under-catered.

According to the Regional Director of Committed to Good (CTG) in Nigeria, Mary-Ellen Havlik, since the peak of the kidnapping crisis in the Niger Delta during 2005-2007 when most major oil companies divested from onshore operations and moved to offshore oil rigs, the security company landscape of the country has changed significantly.

“Traditionally, international security has been reserved mainly for the oil industry and other major companies that can afford it, which is why there is a concentration of security services in the business communities of Lagos and the South-South region of the country,” says Mary-Ellen.

Medical response company Assist360 has recognised these gaps. Assist360 is a CTG company born from two decades of experience delivering thorough duty of care support to tens of thousands of local and international humanitarian and development staff across Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Since 2022, Assist360 has been supporting more than 1,000 humanitarian sector staff across Nigeria, including the restive Northeast region.

Bringing Medical Response and Security Considerations Together in One Service

According to Havlik, whose career in Nigeria began as a Diplomat for the Canadian High Commission 20 years ago, offering medical and security services together, even though no one else is doing it, is a natural fit, especially in high-risk regions.

“As independent medical providers, the reality is that with Nigeria’s challenging locations and lack of infrastructure, the only response is an integrated one. There’s no way we could conduct a medical evacuation, for example, without taking security into consideration too,” says Havlik. 

For Havlik, the first step is an expert security assessment that is based on an intimate knowledge of the lay of the land. Operational expertise aside, along with a network of highly educated resources and local intelligence, it is the in-depth and nuanced understanding of geography, culture and logistics that can be lifesaving in a country like Nigeria.

Operational expertise and local intelligence form the backbone of effective medical and security services in Nigeria.

How a Security Assessment for Medical Evacuation Works  

The nuanced approach to a basic security assessment goes beyond establishing location and assessing road routes to retrieve or medically support someone.

“Knowing whether we have militant activity in the area, an increased risk of kidnapping on a particular road, whether the road is laid with IEDs or what kind of local conflict could be going on is critical. For instance, herder-farmer clashes over terrain can spin off to larger areas making certain roads highly dangerous,” says Havlik.   

While these assessments are typically more straightforward in the areas surrounding Lagos and the South-South, both key to the oil and general business sectors, the need to service the North is quickly increasing.

According to Havlik, the serious business players of the oil-rich South-South have an extensive understanding of that region and its associated risks, however, there is usually a lack of understanding of risks that exist in other geopolitical zones of the country.  

Risks generally fall into five categories including: Armed Conflict, Terrorism, Crime, Civil Unrest, and Hazards. Specific threats include kidnapping, health hazards, unsafe airlines, maritime piracy, petty crime, home invasions, unexploded ordinances and more.

The Benefits of Knowing the Lay of the Land

“Beyond security and medical support, we can help identify safe hotels for staff to stay at if they are overnighting outside of Lagos. We can advise whether or not they need security support throughout their visit, exclusively for the road, or overnight at their accommodation too.   

This can depend on the profile of the person. For instance, if they are a local Nigerian or expat Nigerian coming home to work, their risk profile may be lower than a recognisable foreigner. This is simply because risk profiles are elevated for people who don’t blend by race and culture,” says Rob Simmons, COO of Assist360.

On the whole, having a very good understanding of the varied security risks, region by region, is important because it significantly impacts operational deliverables and logistics. Security considerations are a crucial part of the planning process. Determining how to transport patients from point A to point B involves several critical questions. One must consider whether it is necessary to charter a helicopter or if road movement is a feasible option. If road movement is chosen, it must be decided if police escorts are required. The source of rental vehicles, whether they are 4×4 or armoured 4×4 vehicles, also needs to be addressed. Additionally, if night travel is not possible, plans must be made to stabilise patients until mobilisation can occur at dawn.

Navigating Nigeria’s challenging terrain requires careful planning and expert support. Our team assesses risks on a region-by-region basis to determine the safest and most efficient transportation options.

Why Medical Assistance Alone in Nigeria is Not Enough   

One should never assume that coverage for medical assistance in Nigeria is enough, especially when every country and geopolitical zone in a country presents such different risks.

If a foreigner coming from the US, Canada or a Western European country, for instance, arrives, they would often register with their foreign diplomatic embassy so that the embassy knows that they are in-country. This, however, doesn’t mean that the embassy would provide support to them. “They are likely to have a thorough security analysis that they might be willing to share with the person while also limiting their liability. While this leaves the worker with some information, in reality, it is not the kind of close monitoring that may be required in certain parts of West Africa,” says Havlik.

As a result, for some, a security assessment is certainly worth paying for and should be offered on a case-by-case, bespoke basis.

For Assist360, being able to add the analytic component to medical support and security logistics adds significant value.

The Necessity and Demand to Support Northern Areas

According to Havlik big corporations in the South-South who are expanding their operations to incorporate solar and other power generation options are looking to take staff all over the country into higher-risk states, including some in the middle belt and northern part of the country. These would either come with security that is provided by the company or offer no security at all.

Many company directors will also wear the hat of a security officer and may not have the budget for medical evacuations, while smaller NGOs in the humanitarian sector will often do the best they can to cobble together risk mitigation plans. Usually, neither will have well-planned emergency plans for medical evacuation and security like kidnap and ransom.

A common outcome is that to mitigate the risks to personal safety, companies are required to impose frustrating lockdowns on their staff. This could include restricting their activity so they cannot leave their hotels from 5 pm to 8 am.

Unfortunately, scenarios like these have been typical since the kidnapping crisis of the mid-2000s, leaving a critical dearth in the supply chain of security and medical support for foreign nationals working in Nigeria.    

Today, however, through strategic partnerships with helicopter charters and ambulance leasing, the security assessment and medical expertise of Assist360 is already helping to make it possible for workers from the humanitarian and business sectors to work and live in the North without these heavily restrictive lockdowns that used to be commonplace in the South-South. 

In conclusion, the intricate blend of security and medical assistance in Nigeria, uncommon in the region, pioneers a unique delivery of duty of care for companies operating in Nigeria.

Assist360 are local employers who are proud to be deeply connected with the communities in which they operate. When time is of the essence, and the correct response is critical, on-the-ground teams offer key insights into unique situations to ensure the best possible decisions are made.