By Deborah Nnamdi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on Nigeria’s security training institutions, citing poor infrastructure, obsolete curricula, and inadequate training standards as major obstacles to building an effective internal security system.
The declaration was made during the 152nd meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the Council endorsed the President’s proposal for a nationwide overhaul of all security training facilities, including police colleges, civil defence academies, and other paramilitary institutions.
To drive the reform, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has been appointed to lead an ad-hoc NEC committee tasked with submitting a comprehensive reform blueprint within 30 days. The committee includes governors from Kaduna, Ogun, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Zamfara, and Nasarawa States, with former Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba serving as secretary.
President Tinubu said the overhaul is essential to achieving his administration’s target of growing Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion in five years, stressing that “a 21st-century security architecture cannot operate with 20th-century tools and methods.”
The committee’s mandate includes conducting a full audit of existing training infrastructure, reviewing curricula, assessing equipment needs, and proposing short- and long-term strategies to modernize the institutions. It will also develop a plan to integrate advanced technology and digital skills into security training.
The President further directed the creation of a special intervention fund to finance the upgrades, urging both federal and state governments to collaborate in implementing the reforms.
The decision follows rising concerns over the quality of personnel emerging from security training facilities and increasing reports of unprofessional conduct within security agencies. The government believes that revitalizing these institutions will enhance professionalism, restore public trust, and strengthen Nigeria’s internal security capacity.
Governor Mbah’s committee is expected to visit key security training centers across the country before submitting its report to the NEC for implementation. The federal government has promised swift action once the reform plan is received.
