The Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, has called on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently reform police training institutions, warning that the current system undermines the goals of the Police Act 2020.
In an open letter dated March 23, 2026, addressed to the IGP and copied to the Police Service Commission and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, Nwanguma stressed that quality training remains the “critical pillar” for sustainable police reform.
“I write this open letter in recognition of your leadership and in furtherance of ongoing efforts to reposition the Nigeria Police Force as a professional, accountable, and people-centred institution,” he stated.
The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre argued that police training institutions, including colleges and academies, must be treated as “strategic assets rather than administrative afterthoughts.”
Highlighting what he described as a contradiction with the intent of the Police Act, Nwanguma said current practices, where postings to training schools are often viewed as punitive, run counter to the law’s emphasis on professionalism, accountability, and continuous capacity building.
“When instructional roles are filled not by the most competent and motivated officers but by those who feel sidelined or disengaged, the outcome is predictable,” he said. “The very values the Act seeks to instil are weakened at inception.”
He warned that this trend could lead to compromised training for recruits, the spread of negative institutional culture, and weakened continuity within the Force.
“No police reform can succeed if the entry point into the Force is flawed,” he added.
Nwanguma proposed a series of reforms, including reclassifying training postings as prestigious and merit-based assignments, establishing a structured “train-the-trainers” framework, and introducing enhanced welfare packages for instructors.
“To attract the best personnel, postings to training institutions must be supported by robust welfare measures,” he said, listing incentives such as instructorship allowances, improved accommodation, and promotion considerations.
He also called for the creation of a dedicated career path for police instructors and stronger oversight mechanisms in collaboration with relevant authorities.
Describing the moment as a “defining opportunity for leadership,” Nwanguma urged the IGP to align implementation with the provisions of the Police Act.
“Repositioning police training institutions is not merely an administrative adjustment; it is a strategic intervention that will determine the future character of the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
He concluded that transforming training schools into centres of excellence would “restore dignity to service” and build a foundation for a police force that Nigerians can trust.
