INSECURITY: Tinubu Declares State of Emergency on Internal Security Training Facilities Nationwide

…Demands Overhaul Plan in 30 Days for Defence and Security Institutions

By Jeremy Fregene

President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on the training facilities of Nigeria’s internal security and defence agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), citing their deteriorating and outdated state as a major concern.

The declaration was made known by Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) Ad-hoc Committee on the overhaul of security training institutions. Mbah disclosed this during an inspection tour of several training facilities in Lagos, as part of the committee’s mandate to assess the state of police, paramilitary, and defence training schools nationwide.

He was accompanied on the tour by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; the committee’s secretary and former Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman Baba; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, who heads the Special Protection Unit (SPU).

Mbah told reporters that the committee had been given a 30-day deadline to submit a comprehensive report to the NEC for immediate action. According to him, President Tinubu issued the directive at the last NEC meeting held on October 23, expressing deep concern that outdated training facilities were still being used to prepare security personnel “who are expected to uphold human dignity in their interactions with citizens.”

The governor said the President regarded the poor state of the country’s security training infrastructure as inconsistent with his administration’s vision of expanding the Nigerian economy to $1 trillion within the next five years, and therefore considered it urgent to modernise the nation’s entire internal security training framework.

Nigeria’s defence and internal security training institutions have suffered years of neglect, with many facilities operating without modern equipment, adequate classrooms, or proper accommodation for trainees. The affected institutions include some of the country’s oldest and most strategic police training centres such as the Police Staff College, Jos; the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano; and the Police Colleges in Ikeja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, and Oji River.

Other specialised institutions like the Police Detective College, Enugu; the Police College of Information Technology, Abeokuta; and the Police Mobile Training Schools in Gwoza and Ila-Orangun also feature prominently in the nationwide review. Additional police schools earmarked for assessment include the Mounted and Dog Training Schools, Jos; Traffic and Communication Schools in Ikeja and Kaduna; the Police School of Anti-Terrorism, Nonwa-Tai; as well as numerous Police Training Schools located in Sokoto, Bauchi, Minna, Jos, Nonwa-Tai, Ibadan, Benin City, Oyin Akoko, Makurdi, Iperu, Calabar, Ilorin, and Ikeja.

As it progresses with its assignment, the committee may review the condition of military and other defence-related institutions, including the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna; the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB); the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna; the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko; and several Nigerian Army colleges such as the College of Nursing (NACON), College of Education (NACOE), and School of Medical Sciences (NASMS).

Security experts and governance analysts have welcomed the President’s action as a long-overdue response to years of institutional decay. Many believe that upgrading these training facilities is essential to improving professionalism, morale, and accountability within Nigeria’s law enforcement and defence agencies.

A senior security analyst who spoke to KTH Daily described the move as “a necessary first step” toward building effective and humane security institutions. “You cannot produce modern security officers with 1970s infrastructure,” he said. “The President’s directive acknowledges that national security begins with how we train those who protect it.”

Others note that Tinubu’s decision aligns with his broader security sector reform agenda, which aims to integrate technology, intelligence, and ethical standards into internal security operations. The goal, they say, is to align Nigeria’s policing, paramilitary, and defence systems with international best practices.

Governor Mbah said the committee would continue its inspection visits to training centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones before submitting its final report to the NEC for approval. He reiterated that the 30-day deadline given to the committee was an indication of the administration’s urgency in addressing the challenge, adding that the exercise would lead to a comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation and modernisation of all internal security and defence training facilities.

According to NEC insiders, the report will include a detailed evaluation of each institution’s infrastructure, equipment, staffing, and curriculum, as well as cost estimates and timelines for upgrading them to modern standards. The move is widely viewed as part of President Tinubu’s commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s internal security framework: a critical step toward stabilising the nation, boosting investor confidence, and advancing his broader economic growth agenda.

The declaration of emergency on security training facilities also ties into the administration’s Police Reform Bill, the ongoing review of the National Security Strategy, and renewed efforts to strengthen community policing and intelligence-led security operations. Senior government officials say the President’s goal is to build a modern, accountable, and citizen-focused internal security framework capable of confronting today’s complex threats, from terrorism and banditry to cybercrime and urban violence.

As one top security source told KTH Daily, “You can’t secure Nigeria with outdated tools and obsolete training. The President’s directive is about building a 21st-century security system.”