What is interesting here is the idea of creating a wall of shame for companies. To actually analyze and determine who the good companies are and who the bad companies are, and publish those results. This process is great, if everyone respects the group doing the survey and agrees upon what the industry best practices are–or standards.
I have no idea if the group doing the survey is actually respected and legitimate, and the article gave no link to this survey or the company that performed it. But what I wanted to do here is highlight the effort. If Frank Anderson Consulting would like to come up and talk about this survey, feel free to do so in the comments or contact me directly. As it stands, I can’t even find a link to the company and I have never heard of them before.
Not only does the group doing the survey have to be respected, but the same group must also be tasked with doing the survey again in the near future to show any trends. That way you can see what companies are making a turn around, and which companies are on the decline. It will also help investors and clients determine who the true winners and losers are. –Matt
Survey report okays 12 security firms in Nigeria
October 2, 2012
By Kingsley Adegboye
THE report of a survey of private security companies operating in Nigeria just released has shown that most of the security firms guarding homes and business places across the country lack the competence to secure lives and property.
The survey conducted by Frank Anderson Consulting however, gave 12 security companies a clean bill of health after a tour of the nation in the wake of recent security challenges nationwide. These companies that were given A+ rating are; ASE Security Ltd, Bemil Nigeria Ltd, Cardinal Security Ltd, Crest Security Ltd, Executive Guards, Halogens Security, Kings Guards, Nigid Security Ltd, Monaco Security, Prudential Guards, Technocrime Security, and Pahek Security Services.
The consulting firm noted that “Our survey and appraisals report of the numerous security companies operating in Nigeria was based on assets, branches, people, technology, refined systems, years of existence, board of directors structure and business focus.”
It added that most of the security companies operating in Nigeria currently, shockingly have assets-base of less than N350,000.00 and yet are exposed to billions of Naira projects, pointing out that and in most cases owners of the firms are retired personnel who divert t income of companies to personal or family use thereby jeopardizing the future of the companies and employees working for them.
According to the survey, some of the security companies are currently operating in shops, plazas, stadia, amusement parks and hotels which have been in business over the years as a family affair, as in most cases, husbands and wives constitute boards of directors of the companies.
“The quality and integrity of people working in most security outfits are questionable. The directors hire staff, mostly not based on competence. The basic communication facilities like radios and scanners are conspicuously absent in over 90 per cent of the companies visited.
“Projections and focus of the business are not known by most of the directors we interacted with. Some feel because they are retired and have no other businesses then they just had to own a security company. Most Banks, Oil and Gas companies and Federal Ministries, even Churches and Parastatals give out jobs on the basis of friendship thereby exposing bank deposits, people, and assets to mediocrity and at the end, innocent people suffer.
“Some companies that are doing very well in places like Lagos have nothing at all to write home about either in the North, East or West but because of influence, they are given jobs in these regions even as they lack the actual merit for it. From our survey, it was safer and comfortable for anyone to use the 12 companies we have given a clean bill of health because they met the criteria to operate as security firms 100 per cent.
“The companies, though they are strong, their strengths do not cover all the regions. They gave the strength and spread as; Lagos region has Ase, Bemil, Cardinal, Crest, Halogen, Kings Guard, Prudential, Pahek, Technocrime, and Nigid; FCT has Nigid, Halogens, Kings Guard, Prudential, Munaco and Technocrime; SouthEast: Nigid, Pahek, Ase, prudentials; South-West: Kings Guards, prudentials, Bemil, Halogens and Cardinal; North-Central: Nigid, Prudential, Executive; North-West: Nigid, Executive Guards, Kings Guards, and Halogens; North-East: Halogens, Munaco, Kings Guard, and Nigid; South-South: Kings Guard, Halogens, and Bemil.
“Based on age, the two companies with the most impressive results are Cardinal and Nigid. Licensed under Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, they have performed very well and if not checked they will spring surprises on older companies in this group. Organisations entrusting their property and people to security firms can actually look out for these in the outlined regions to enable them sleep well.”
Story here.