FRAMEWORK FOR SECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES IN SOUTHSOUTH, NIGERIA

Purpose: Unpredictability of the nature and magnitude of threats on government administrative buildings in the South-South region of Nigeria draws to light the need for effective facility security risk management frameworks. These frameworks are needed to assess the risks associated with threats and possible approaches to their mitigation or integration. This study proposes a framework for the effective security risk management of government administrative buildings in the South-South region of Nigeria, in a view to ensuring the safety of staff and visitors; the security of functions and equipment; and protection of the integrity of the arms of government that own these facilities.

Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a descriptive survey research design approach. Twelve federal and state government secretariate buildings from six states in the South-South region of Nigeria were directly observed. Direct observations provided primary data on facilities characteristics and security structure over twenty-four hours of a regular working day. Using these data, a facility security risk management framework unique to these facilities was developed. The framework incorporated the event tree logic model and qualitative risk matrices. Data obtained from the twelve government administrative facilities were applied to the proposed framework, considering three threats identified from literature to be most likely to occur on these facilities.

Findings: Results showed that risk measures were acceptable in all facilities but for facilities labelled DA and FB, for public order incidents and kidnappings respectively.

Research limitations/Implications: Threats considered were limited to those that were malevolent and of a "low probability and high consequence" nature. Government administrative facilities considered were federal and state civil service administrative facilities also referred to as secretariat facilities. The study showed that an effective facility security risk management framework was needed to ensure safety and security in government administrative buildings.

Practical implications: The study also showed that the framework proposed in this study was quite capable of meeting the need for an effective facility security risk management framework in government administrative buildings.

Originality/value: The study sheds light into the preparedness and response of government administrative facilities to threats. The dynamism of the proposed framework promotes the adaptability of these facilities to changing threats, threat likelihoods and consequences. Therefore, enhancing the safety of these facilities.