Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is a paramilitary institution in Nigeria that was first introduced in May 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War within the then Federal Capital Territory of Lagos for the purpose of sensitization and protection of the civil populace. It was then known as Lagos Civil Defence Committee.
It later metamorphosed into the present day NSCDC in 1970.
The Corps is empowered by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to arrest and prosecute any person or persons suspected to have committed an offence or engaged in anything contrary to maintenance of national peace.
The organization bears fire arms among others to strengthen the corps in the discharge of its statutory duties.
In this post, we shall take a look at the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, their various functions, ranks and of course their salary structures.
The Corps has over the years evolved to become one of the strong defence architecture in the country, checkmating civil unrest, mineral theft and maintaining peace.
In May 2003, the Corps was formally established by the Nigerian Government and the act was amended in 2007 to enhance the statutory duties of the Corp.
In 1984, the Corps was transformed into a National security outfit and in 1988, there was a major re-structuring of the Corps that led to the establishment of Commands throughout the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in addition to other special functions by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
On 28 June, 2003, an Act to give statutory backing to the NSCDC passed by the National Assembly was signed into law by former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR.
Statutory Duties or Functions of NSCDC
The primary function of the NSCDC is to protect lives and properties in conjunction with Nigeria police.
One of the crucial functions of the Corps is to protect pipelines from vandalism. The agency also involves in crisis management.
Many states now recognize the impact of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps with continuous collaboration to ensure maximum security.
Ranks:
To ensure smooth running of the institution, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is made up of various ranks or positions, headed by the Commandant General.
Other ranks are:
- Deputy Commandant General
- Assistant Commandant General
- Commandant
- Deputy Commandant
- Assistant Commandant
- Senior Superintendent
- Chief Superintendent
- Superintendent
- Deputy Superintendent
- Assistant Superintendent 1
- Assistant Superintendent 11
Other ranks in NCDSC) include:
- Chief Inspector
- Deputy Chief Inspector
- Assistant Chief Inspector
- Principal Inspector
- Senior Inspector
- Inspector
- Assistant Inspector
- Corps Assistant 1
- Corps Assistant 11
- Corps Assistant 111
NSCDC Salary Structure Based on Ranks of Officers
The highest paid in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is the Commandant General, whose monthly salary is ₦305,332 with an annual salary of about ₦2,464,560.
The lowest paid is the Assistant Cadre whose monthly salary is ₦31,188 and annual salary of about ₦374,259.
Below are the breakdown of monthly NSCDC salary structures according to their ranks:
- Assistant Cadre (Level 3 to 6) – ₦31,188
- Assistant Inspectorate Cadre (level 7) – ₦34,288
- Inspectorate Cadre (Level 8) – ₦47,255
- Assistant Superintendent Cadre II (Level 9) – ₦82,249
- Assistant Superintendent Cadre I (Level 10) – ₦88,035
- Deputy Superintendent Cadre II (Level 11) – ₦95,295
- Superintendent Cadre (Level 12) – ₦104,337
- Chief Superintendent Cadre (Level 13) – ₦104,377
- Assistant Commander (Level 14) – ₦117,121
- Deputy Commander (Level 15) – ₦152,132
- Chief Commander (Level 16) – ₦163,857
- Assistant Commandant General (Level 17) – ₦205,380
- Deputy Commandant General (Level 17) – ₦225,290
- Commandant General (Level 18) – ₦305,332
Note: Salary of NSCDC officers depends on their rank, level and promotions based on the new COMPASS payment scale.
An officer of the NSCDC on level 8 Step 2 (Assistant Superintendent Cadre) salary is around ₦82,249 per month, while for Inspectorate Cadre on level 8 is around ₦47,255.
NSCDC Graduates Salary
Graduates are usually placed in level 8, while HND holders are placed on level 7. This means that fresh graduates are expected to earn between ₦34,288 and ₦50,000 per month.
In conclusion, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is a federal security outfit, charged with the responsibility of defending the country against any theft, maintenance of peace and quell any internal crises within Nigeria. The commission is statutorily empowered by Act No. 2 of 2003 and amended by Act 6 on June 4, 2007.
The ranks in the service, like other security agencies in Nigeria are very important and perform basically the same function of fighting crimes and defending the country against any attack on citizenry and oil vandalism.
So, job seekers in the categories of graduates and non Nigerian graduates alike, who want to make a career in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps should see the information provided here very useful and educative.