President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on Nigeria’s security training institutions, describing their current condition as a major threat to the operational efficiency of the country’s internal security agencies.
The directive affects facilities under the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other related agencies.
This was confirmed by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who chairs the National Economic Council (NEC) Ad-Hoc Committee on Security Training Reforms.
During an inspection tour in Lagos, Governor Mbah explained that the President’s decision followed his October 23 approval for a complete overhaul of all police and civil defence training centres.
“President Tinubu recognized the urgent need to restore pride, professionalism, and confidence among our security personnel,” Mbah stated.
The committee, which has 30 days to submit its report, has been divided into two teams: one led by Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to cover institutions in the North, and another led by Governor Mbah to assess those in the South.
Consultants are currently evaluating the facilities to determine what must be rebuilt, re-equipped, and modernized.
Mbah further revealed that the plan includes the establishment of an intervention fund for reconstruction and digital transformation. He also emphasized that the President’s approval of 30,000 new police recruits would only be effective if backed by modern training infrastructure.
“We cannot train a 21st-century security force using 20th-century systems,” he said, highlighting the importance of digital skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and mechatronics.
Governor Mbah stressed that the initiative is proactive and not a reaction to any external remarks. “This directive was issued before recent foreign comments. The President is addressing decades of neglect,” he clarified.
Other key officials present during the inspection include, Governor Dapo Abiodun, former IGP, Alkali Usman Baba, and AIG Olatunji Disu, who heads the Special Protection Unit (SPU).
They confirmed that the committee’s findings would guide the next phase of comprehensive reforms across all security training institutions in Nigeria.
