In a bid to keep in check the insecurity situations in Nigeria, the House of Representative is taking into consideration a bill to direct the federal and state governments to install Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras across the country.
This is coming after the Nigerian government awarded a $470 million contract -- the Chinese Exim Bank provided a $399.5 million loan -- to a Chinese company to install 2,000 CCTV cameras in Abuja and Lagos in 2010.
According to the report, the bill which is titled “Integration of Private Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Infrastructure into the National Security Network in Nigeria Bill, 2019” provides for the incorporation of "private CCTV infrastructure into the National Security Network in Nigeria."
Furthermore, if the bill is passed into law, private organisations in Nigeria are expected to install CCTV within and outside their buildings to maintain security as well as watch out for people’s behaviour if there is a criminal activity within the area.
The report also has it that any company or organisation that refuses to install CCTV within and outside its establishment is subject to a fine of at least ₦ 500, 000 ($1,371) or six months imprisonment or both. Additionally, if the organisation or company continually refuse to install the cameras, it shall receive the fine of 1 million naira ($2,743) or a year imprisonment or both.
In a case of criminal activities within or outside the establishment, the company or organisation will be expected to provide CCTV camera footage to law enforcement agents to help their investigation. Failure to provide this will result in been prosecuted for being a criminal accomplice and for negligence.
For Lagos State, the government announced during the commencement of construction of a flyover bridge in the popular Pen Cinema junction that it will install 13,000 CCTV cameras across the state in 2016.
Suggested Read: Lagos state’s new surveillance system amplifies the need for a unified database
In 2017, part of the initiative -- the mobile surveillance was deployed on the streets of Lagos. Although, there are currently no CCTV cameras in the state.
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If passed into law, Nigeria will join other African countries -- Uganda and Kenya in the nationwide installation of CCTVs in their countries.
