Security Expert Asks US To Expand Police Training Programme In Nigeria

A security analyst, Kingsley Okafor, has urged the United States of America (USA) government to extend and expand its police training programme in Nigeria for more effective policing to tackle insecurity.

Okafor warned that allowing the training initiative to lapse could undermine broader security gains as Washington increases its military advisory presence in the country.

Okafor’s appeal came after approximately 100 American troops arrived at Bauchi Airfield in North East of Nigeria on February 16, 2026; the first large-scale deployment of U.S. military trainers to Nigeria.

In a statement to journalists in Kaduna, at the weekend, the security analyst noted that for the past three years, retired American law enforcement professionals have worked directly with the Nigeria Police Force, training more than 400 officers across key units, including the Complaint Response Unit, Counter Terrorism Unit, Mobile Police Unit, and Special Intervention Squad.

“Under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) program, American police trainers have spent the past three years collaborating directly with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

“The INL programme has strengthened not just operational effectiveness, but professionalism, accountability, and community trust within the Nigeria Police Force,” Okafor said.

According to him, the curriculum has covered Public Order Management, Police Tactics, Firearms Training, Use of Force protocols, Human Rights compliance, Medical First Responder Training, Community Policing strategies, Leadership Development, Train-the-Trainer modules, and Verbal De-escalation techniques.

“This is not a cosmetic intervention,” he stated. “It is institutional reform work. You cannot build that for three years and then simply switch it off without consequences.”

Okafor warned that institutional knowledge, interpersonal trust, and cultural familiarity built during the programme represent strategic assets that cannot be quickly replicated.

“Many of these trainers have embedded within the system. They understand the operational realities and the sensitivities within the chain of command. That relational capital is difficult to rebuild once lost,” he said.

Okafor further cautioned against creating a disconnect between military and police capacity-building efforts.