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| Dr. Sylvester Okere presenting his speech at the 19th
Security Leadership Summit
|
A
US – based security expert and Founding President of Strategic Groups USA LLC
(parent company of Strategic Overseas Ltd.), Dr. Sylvester Okere, has called
for synergy between Nigeria and India to tackle security challenges faced by
investors in Nigeria.
Okere, made this call at the 19th Security
Leadership Summit jointly organized by the Central Association of Private
Security Industry (CAPSI) and the Association of Professional Detectives &
Investigators (APDI) at PHD House, New Delhi, India on Thursday 21st November,
2024.
The
event which was attended by Industry leaders, Policy makers and Security
experts was aimed at exploring advanced technologies for shaping the global security
landscape under the theme “Surakashit Bharat –
Viksit Bharat 2047”, and Key discussions focused on AI in security services,
women safety, private investigations and collaboration between the private
sector and the police.
Speaking
during the, event, Okere, a Nigerian - American, said now is the best time for
robust business and mutual engagements between the two countries.
“It’s
really a great honor to be invited by this prestigious association CAPSI, to
speak on INDIA-NIGERIA PARTNERSHIP in solving the security issues that plagued
our community, Okere began in his speech at the event.
“
No reasonable investor wants to invest meaningfully to a place where his
investment is not guaranteed security, Okere continued.
”
Presently, there are more than 200 Indian companies operating in Nigeria
with a combined investment valued at $27 billion while the population of Indian
Nationals living in Nigeria is approximately 800 thousand.
"In
most advanced democracies e.g. USA where I have lived for nearly 28 years, this
population is a strong voting block to shape legislation for the community and
I can’t wait to see my Nigerian-Indian brother/sisters running for political
offices in Nigeria.
"
With multiple companies and a large population of Indians residing in
Nigeria, it is vital that a strong relationship between the two countries
is sustained and one of the areas of focus to achieve this goal is security -
ensuring a secure and sustainable environment within which Indian companies can
thrive.
"
There must be a deliberate effort to cultivate interpersonal relationships
between Indian business owners and their Nigerian employees such that a fluid
communication process becomes common with the work and business
environment.
"
India established a diplomatic mission in Nigeria in 1958 (2 years before
Nigeria gained her independence). In the late 1970s and up till late 1980s,
Indian nationals assimilated into various sectors of the Nigerian environment,
especially in the education sector, where Indian teachers were prominent in
local secondary schools and tertiary institutions, Okere continued.
"
I want to commend Prime Minister Modi’s for his visit to Nigeria to meet with
President Ahmed Tinubu on ways to strengthen our great relationships in
business, trade and Investment. Permit me to say to our great leaders, “THERE
CANNOT BE VIBRANT COMMERCE or TRADE WITHOUT SECURITY.
“
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”,
he said.
During
the event, the chairman of CAPSI, Mr. V. K. Sigh and Dr. Okere agreed to come
up with a sustainable strategy for an alliance aimed at improving security in
Nigeria.
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From L - R, Mahesh C. Sharma, Secretary General CAPSI,; Kunwar Vikram
Singh: Chairman of CAPSI and APDI., Dr. Sylvester Okere and V V Katti
National President
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The
event which featured the presentation of an award of excellence to Dr. Okere by
the officials of CAPSI was attended by the National Cyber Security Coordinator
(NCSC), Lt. General MU Nair; DG of Police (Law & Order), Gujarat state, Dr.
Shamsher Singh; President, Association of British Investigators (ABI), Mike
LaCorte; Director, National Security Country Governance – India, Sh. Shailendra
Vikram Singh; Director, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Prof. (Dr.)
Surabhi Pandey and Special Commissioner of Police, Crime Division, Delhi
Police, Sh. Devesh Chandra Srivastiva.
Other
dignitaries present at the occasion were the Director of Binary Global, Major
General Sanjay Sol; Minister of Tribal Affairs, Hon’ble Sh. Jual Oram; Former
DG, Police, Punjab, Sh. V K Bihawara; Former DG, Mechanised Forces, Indian Army
& Strike Corps Commander, Lt. General A B Shivane; Former Union Minister
& Ex Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Dr. Satya Pal Singh and a host of
others.
Okere
is a member of the World Association of Detectives (WAD), Certified Fraud
Examiners (CFE), National Council of Investigators & Security Services
(NCISS), Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), American Security
Foundation, American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), Public Record
Retriever Network (PRRN), Maryland Investigators and Security Association
(MISA), and other esteemed associations. He is a certified institutional
protection manager (CIPM II) with a primary focus on industrial security,
infrastructure, and trade facilitation.
He
is a former Nigeria Immigration officer with 18 years of federal service (Kano
and Imo state combined). He is a native of Obibi Ezena in Imo State, Nigeria.
