President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on all security training institutions across Nigeria, directing an immediate overhaul of facilities used to train personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other internal security agencies.
The directive aims to modernise the nation’s security training system to improve professionalism, discipline and the quality of engagements with citizens.
The announcement was made after an inspection visit to one of the training centres in Lagos by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who is the Chairman of the National Economic Council committee on the review of security training institutions. He revealed that President Tinubu approved the emergency measure during the National Economic Council meeting held on 23 October and mandated the committee to submit a comprehensive report within 30 days. According to him, “The President was deeply concerned that outdated training facilities are being used to prepare security personnel, who are expected to uphold human dignity in their interactions with citizens.”
Governor Mbah stated that the current state of the institutions does not reflect the President’s vision for a modern and efficient security sector that supports economic development. He noted that the President wants an upgraded training system that aligns with his target of growing Nigeria’s economy to one trillion dollars within the next five years and one of the key areas of reform is the reorientation of security personnel.
He disclosed that the committee will split into two teams to carry out nationwide inspection of training centres with one team assigned to facilities in the northern part of the country and the other to those in the south. The teams are expected to assess infrastructure, training curriculum, staffing, discipline standards and welfare of trainees before submitting final recommendations to the Federal Government.
The reform is expected to introduce modern training models, improved facilities, and enhanced career development for officers to strengthen the country’s internal security operations. The state of emergency also targets human rights standards, ensuring that personnel are trained to engage citizens respectfully and professionally during security operations.
The Federal Government said the move is part of ongoing security reforms to rebuild public trust and produce well equipped officers capable of responding to emerging threats. The President is expected to receive the committee’s report in November before full implementation of the new security training framework begins.
