According to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, insufficient manpower is impeding the agency’s efforts to combat crime, with the police requiring an additional 190,000 personnel to properly man the country.
On Wednesday, the IGP delivered a paper presentation to the Senior Executive Course 45 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State.
According to him, although the United Nations recommends one police officer for every 460 citizens, Nigeria has a police-citizen ratio of 1-650.
“Therefore, the NPF requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at parity with the United Nations recommended ratio,” he said.
According to the police head, if the country is not well-policed, the government’s industrialization program will become unachievable.
“Therefore, the inadequate manpower, which has resulted in a low police presence, could hinder the government’s industrialization efforts,” the IGP added.
“Without sufficient police presence and response capabilities, industrial sites could become vulnerable to criminal activities and hamper economic progress.”
Aside from that, the Nigerian police force’s lack of manpower is hampering its ability to protect the country’s essential infrastructure.
Wednesday’s discussion is part of IGP’s defense and security studies for the year, and it will take place at the Institute lecture hall to address the role of police in the three major concerns of industrialisation, energy security, and climate change.
The Security Studies Week provides an opportunity for security leaders from the military, police, and other paramilitary organizations to deliver papers for the senior executive course’s final research project.
