President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on police and other security training institutions across Nigeria as part of his administration’s strategy to curb criminality and address worsening security challenges nationwide.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who chairs the National Economic Council (NEC) Committee on the Overhaul of Police and Security Training Institutions, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Police Training College in Ikeja, Lagos, during the committee’s inspection tour of training facilities.
Mbah said the decision followed the President’s presentation at the 152nd NEC meeting two weeks earlier, where he expressed concern over the dilapidated state of police and other security training facilities across the country.
He clarified that the initiative was conceived long before recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump on Nigeria’s security situation, describing it instead as a proactive and forward-looking intervention.
“The President recognises that bold and urgent steps are required to restore the pride, professionalism, and confidence of men and women in the security sector,” Mbah said.
“You cannot expect those tasked with protecting our communities and enforcing the law to be trained in inhumane conditions. This is not a knee-jerk reaction but a deliberate effort to correct decades of neglect.”
Mbah said the committee—which includes governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), with former Inspector-General of Police Baba Usman serving as secretary—has been given 30 days to submit its report.
He added that the team had been divided into northern and southern subcommittees to conduct simultaneous assessments, supported by consultants tasked with evaluating infrastructure needs and developing plans for rebuilding and equipping training centres.
“The President has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. That cannot be achieved without modern training facilities. This is why we are treating it as an emergency,” Mbah explained.
He said the revamp would be comprehensive, ensuring that Nigerian security personnel are equipped with 21st-century skills and technologies.
“We cannot continue to train our forces using 20th-century methods. Officers must acquire skills in artificial intelligence, robotics, mechatronics, and digital technologies. This will enable them to meet modern security challenges,” he said.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, a member of the committee, said the composition of the team underscored President Tinubu’s seriousness and hands-on approach to national security reform.
“We are carrying out on-the-spot assessments to verify the President’s concerns. This intervention will be immediate, as the committee does not have the luxury of time,” Abiodun said.
The Commandant of the Police Training College, Assistant Inspector-General Omolara Oloruntola, lamented that the college—established in 1949 by British colonial authorities—had suffered decades of neglect.
She commended the President for initiating the reforms, saying only an urgent and far-reaching intervention could restore the institution’s lost glory.
