Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has flagged off a comprehensive review of the Nigeria Police Force training curriculum. Egbetokun declares it as crucial step in transforming the institution into a modern, professional and people-focused organisation.

In his keynote address at the opening of curriculum review held in Lagos, Egbetokun stated that the reform was necessary to address emerging security threats and rising public expectations.

Egbetokun who spoke through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Training and Development, DIG Frank Mba, explained that the reviewed curriculum would focus on producing a new generation of officers who were professionally competent, ethically grounded and community-oriented. 

He said the event is yet another powerful declaration of their intent that they are determined to reposition the Nigeria Police Force into a modern, professional, and people-focused institution.

In his words, they are saying, unequivocally, that the cornerstone of effective policing is not in weapons or uniforms, but in the minds they shape, the values they instill, and the ethical standards they uphold.

According to him, they are operating in a world of rising complexity, Crime has taken new forms, evolving from street-level offences to sophisticated cybercriminal networks, transnational cartels, and ideologically driven violence.

Egbetokun said simultaneously, the public they serve is demanding more accountability, more transparency, deeper empathy, and firm commitment to human rights and community trust.

Egbetokun revealed that the review process would be inclusive, involving veteran officers who would bring institutional memory and field-tested insight; serving officers who understood frontline practicality and demands of day-to-day policing; academics and pedagogical experts, to provide innovation and international learning standards; Civil Society and Human rights advocates, to ensure a curriculum grounded in rights-based and gender-sensitive policing and international partners.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for his support to police reforms, describing it as unprecedented and also  thanked development partners like the United Nations Development Programme and the German government for their technical assistance. 

The Police Chief charged the review team to be bold and innovative in their approach, reminding them that the  reform was not just about revising a document but about redefining the Nigeria Police Force’s identity and reimagining its  future.

Egbetokun assured that the new curriculum would be a living document that would be regularly updated based on evidence and performance feedback, expressing  optimism that it would produce a police force that inspires public trust and confidence. 

The curriculum review supervised by DIG Frank Mba is expected to be completed by Friday, with implementation of the new training manual scheduled to commence in the coming months.

The event was attended by senior police officers, representatives of civil society organisations and international development partners.