The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, has underscored the urgent need for an influx of 190,000 additional police personnel to effectively safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians.
He emphasized that the country is currently grappling with an alarming shortfall in police manpower, impeding the nation’s ability to meet the recommended police-citizen ratio set by the United Nations (UN).
Egbetokun noted that the UN advises a police-citizen ratio of 1 police personnel for every 460 citizens. However, Nigeria’s current ratio stands at 1 police officer for every 650 citizens.
Egbetokun submitted that insufficient manpower is hindering the agency’s efforts to tackle crime, adding that if the country is not well-policed, the government’s industrialization drive will become unrealistic.
Aside from this, the IGP remarked that the low manpower of the Nigerian police is also affecting its capacity to secure the country’s critical infrastructure.
The IGP made the disclosure during a paper presentation to the Senior Executive Course 45 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State.
He explained, “Therefore, the NPF requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at parity with the United Nations recommended ratio.
“Therefore, the inadequate manpower, which has resulted in a low police presence, could hinder the government’s industrialization efforts.
“Without sufficient police presence and response capabilities, industrial sites could become vulnerable to criminal activities and hamper economic progress.”
