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Police Need 190,000 More Personnel To Secure Nigeria, Says IG
Olukayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), says that a shortage of officers is impeding the agency’s attempts to combat crime. He claims that 190,000 more people are required for the police to adequately staff the entire nation.
In a paper presentation to the Senior Executive Course 45 on Wednesday at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State, IGP Egbetokun made this statement.
He asserts that Nigeria’s police-to-citizen ratio is 1-650, compared to the UN’s suggested ratio of one police officer to 460 citizens.
“Therefore, the NPF requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at parity with the United Nations recommended ratio,” he said.
The police chief noted that if the country is not well-policed, the government’s industrialisation drive would become unrealistic.
“Therefore, the inadequate manpower, which has resulted in a low police presence, could hinder the government’s industrialization efforts,” the IGP added.
“Without sufficient police presence and response capabilities, industrial sites could become vulnerable to criminal activities and hamper economic progress.”
Aside from this, the low manpower of the Nigerian police is also affecting its capacity to secure the country’s critical infrastructure.
Wednesday’s meeting is part of defence and security studies towards their research for the year hosted by IGP at the Institute lecture hall to discuss the role of police around the three big issues of industrialisation, energy security, and climate change.
The Security Studies Week is an avenue for security chiefs of the military, police, and other para-military outfits to deliver papers for the final research work of the senior executive course.
