Reform: Federal Government Mulls 1% Deduction For Police Trust Fund

The Federal Government is considering a proposal to strengthen police reforms through an upward review of funding for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) and the repeal of its six-year lifespan clause to make it a permanent agency.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the Police Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

Gaidam explained that the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, established in 2019 by the Federal Government with a renewable life span of six years, was designed to address key gaps in police training, logistics, infrastructure, and welfare.

He said that while the Fund had recorded progress in supporting police operations and capacity building, its sunset clause had created uncertainty and hindered long-term planning.

“The sunset clause in the current Act constrains sustainable reform and long-term development of the Nigeria Police Force,” the minister said. “We are therefore seeking approval to repeal and re-enact the NPTF Establishment Act 2025, remove the sunset clause, and transition the Fund into a permanent agency.”

He further proposed an upward review of the statutory deduction from the Federation Account from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent, saying the increase was necessary to ensure adequate and predictable funding for ongoing reforms in the police system.

According to him, the additional allocation will enable the NPTF to strengthen its mandate in key areas, including the training and retraining of police personnel, provision of modern crime-fighting equipment, improvement of welfare packages, and investment in technology-driven policing.

The Fund, he noted, was created to support the modernisation of the Nigeria Police Force through improved communication systems, surveillance tools, and emergency response capacity.

It also aims to enhance accountability, transparency, and collaboration with the private sector in addressing security challenges.

Gaidam outlined ten major objectives of the Trust Fund, including promoting the welfare and morale of police personnel, fostering private sector engagement, improving public safety, and sustaining operations during budgetary shortfalls.

He added that the Fund’s interventions had helped bridge critical funding gaps in policing but stressed that sustainable financing was essential to consolidate the gains achieved so far.

“The one per cent allocation from the Federation Account will provide a financial buffer for critical police functions, especially during budgetary delays or constraints,” he said.

The minister, therefore, urged the Federal Government to approve three key measures: the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Establishment Act, 2025, to remove the six-year limit and make it a permanent agency.

“The increase of statutory deduction from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the Federation Account.A directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to incorporate the approvals into the proposed Executive Bill for onward transmission to the National Assembly.”

If approved, the proposal would mark a major step in institutionalising police reform and ensuring predictable, long-term funding for Nigeria’s internal security operations.

Since its establishment in 2019, the Nigeria Police Trust Fund has supported training programmes, supplied operational vehicles and equipment, and improved the logistics base of the force across several states.