Tinubu Assents to Nigeria Police Training Institutions Establishment Act, 2024
President Bola Tinubu has assented to the Nigeria Police Training Institutions Establishment Bill, 2024, thereby enacting a comprehensive statutory framework for the establishment and regulation of 48 specialised police training institutions across the federation.
The new legislation is aimed at professionalising the Nigeria Police Force through structured education, continuous training, and capacity development. It has been described as one of the most far‑reaching reforms in the history of police training in Nigeria.
Sponsored by Senator Ahmed Abdulhamid Malam‑Madori, the Act establishes a network of police colleges, training schools, tactical centres, technical institutes, and specialised academies. The objective is to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture and align policing standards with international best practices.
By virtue of the presidential assent, the 48 institutions now enjoy statutory recognition and operational backing. They are categorised into five groups: Police Colleges, Police Training Schools, Police Tactical Schools, Police Technical Training Schools, and Specialised Police Institutions, strategically distributed across the six geopolitical zones.
Among the recognised police colleges are those in Ikeja (Lagos State), Kaduna (Kaduna State), Maiduguri (Borno State), Oji River (Enugu State), the Police Staff College in Jos (Plateau State), and the Police Detective College, Enugu.
The Police Training Schools covered by the Act include those in Bauchi, Minna, Sokoto, Benin, Wanune, Calabar, Ilorin, Ibadan, Iperu, Jos, Owerri, Nonwa‑Tai, Oyin‑Akoko, Ekiti, Gwaram, Malabu‑Fufore, Bende, and other locations to ensure nationwide accessibility.
The Police Tactical Schools now backed by law include the Mobile Training Schools in Gwoza (Borno State), Ila‑Oragun (Osun State), and Ende‑Hill (Nasarawa State); the Counter‑Terrorism Unit (CTU) Schools in Nonwa‑Tai (Rivers State) and Gombe (Gombe State); the Special Protection Unit (SPU) School in Kafin Hausa (Jigawa State); the K9 and Mounted Troop Schools in Jos (Plateau State); the Marine Training School in Toru‑Orua (Bayelsa State); and the Police Pre‑Retirement Training School in Kudan (Kaduna State).
The Act further recognises Police Technical Training Schools, including the Police Public Relations School in Lafia (Nasarawa State) and its Abuja campus, the Central Planning and Training Unit in Jos, the Police School of Intelligence in Shere (Kwara State), the Police Schools of Communication in Kudan and Ikeja, the Police School of Music (Ikeja), the Police Driving School (Ikeja), and the Police Veterinary Training School (Abuja). Specialised institutions such as the Police Institute of Digital Studies and Cyber Security (Abeokuta), the Police School of Nursing and Midwifery (Ezimo), the National Institute of Police Studies (Abuja), the Police Short Service Training Institute (Ikot Ekpene), and the Police School of Finance and Administration (Umueri) are also included.
Senator Malam‑Madori hailed the presidential assent as “a transformative moment for Nigeria’s internal security architecture,” stressing that the Act will professionalise police training, deepen research in security management, and elevate law enforcement standards to global benchmarks. Security experts have equally welcomed the law, describing it as a strategic intervention to close gaps in manpower development, improve discipline within the Force, and enhance operational readiness in addressing emerging security challenges.
