Tinubu Signs Law Creating 48 Police Academies

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the Nigeria Police Training Institutions Establishment Bill, 2024, providing a comprehensive legal framework for 48 specialised police training institutions across the country.

The new law, which seeks to professionalise the Nigeria Police Force through structured education and continuous development, is one of the most far-reaching reforms in the history of police training in Nigeria.

Sponsored by Senator Ahmed Abdulhamid Malam-Madori, the legislation establishes a network of police colleges, training schools, tactical centres, technical institutes, and specialised academies designed to strengthen the nation’s internal security capacity and align Nigeria’s policing standards with global best practices.

With the presidential assent, the 48 institutions now have statutory recognition and operational backing. They are grouped into five categories — Police Colleges, Police Training Schools, Police Tactical Schools, Police Technical Training Schools, and Specialised Police Institutions — strategically located across the six geopolitical zones.

Among the newly 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 second category includes Police Training Schools in Bauchi, Minna, Sokoto, Benin, Wanune, Calabar, Ilorin, Ibadan, Iperu, Jos, Owerri, Nonwa-Tai, Oyin-Akoko, Ekiti, Gwaram, Malabu-Fufore, Bende, and other key locations to ensure nationwide coverage and 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); Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) Schools in Nonwa-Tai (Rivers State) and Gombe (Gombe State); Special Protection Unit (SPU) School in Kafin Hausa (Jigawa State); K9 Training School and Mounted Troop School, both in Jos (Plateau State); the Marine Training School in Toru-Orua (Bayelsa State); and the Police Pre-Retirement Training School in Kudan (Kaduna State).

Under the Police Technical Training Schools framework, the Act covers 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).

The law also recognises a range of specialised institutions such as the Police Institute of Digital Studies and Cyber Security in Abeokuta (Ogun State), the Police School of Nursing and Midwifery in Ezimo (Enugu State), the National Institute of Police Studies in Life Camp (Abuja), the Police Short Service Training Institute in Ikot Ekpene (Akwa Ibom State), and the Police School of Finance and Administration in Umueri (Anambra State).

Senator Malam-Madori, the bill’s sponsor, described the presidential assent as “a transformative moment for Nigeria’s internal security architecture,” noting that the Act would “professionalise police training, deepen research in security management, and raise the standard of law enforcement to meet global expectations.”

Security experts have also welcomed the new law, describing it as a strategic intervention that will close the gap in police manpower development, improve discipline within the force, and enhance operational readiness in tackling emerging security.