EMPLOYMENT POLICY IN THE PARAMILITARY SERVICE AND GENDER EQUITY IN NIGERIA

This study investigates the issue of employment policy and gender equity in Nigeria’s paramilitary services, with a specific focus on the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). Existing literature sheds light on the pervasive marginalization of women in security institutions, however, there remains a significant gap in empirical analysis of how institutional policies and informal structures reproduce gender disparities within paramilitary organizations like the Nigerian Customs. This study, guided by the Social Role Theory aims to identify structural barriers to women’s participation in financial and enforcement roles, evaluate gender sensitivity in policy-making, and explore how recruitment, training, and promotion practices affect women’s career progression. Employing a qualitative research design, the study relied primarily on semi-structured interviews, complemented by focus group discussions and secondary sources to ensure triangulation and cross-validation. Thematic analysis was conducted through three iterative rounds of coding using NVivo software, with data drawn from a purposive sample of 40 participants. The findings reveal that institutionalized patriarchal norms, policy inconsistency, informal gate-keeping, and lack of gender-responsive training structures collectively hinder gender equity in the Nigerian Custom Service. The recommendations include integrating gender-sensitive metrics into leadership evaluations and restructuring TRADOC’s training curriculum to reflect equity goals among others.