By Mercy Gadia
The Senate on Tuesday intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s policing system as it advanced a bill seeking to repeal and re-enact the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act, amid concerns over funding limitations and governance gaps.
The development came during a one-day public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Police Affairs at the National Assembly, Abuja.
Speaking at the hearing, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, Femi Mohammed Sheidu, described the proposed legislation as a “strategic investment in national security.”
He noted that the current 2019 Act had exposed structural and funding deficiencies over the past six years.
Sheidu said, “The proposed Act will strengthen institutional support for modern policing, ensure sustainable funding, and enhance accountability mechanisms necessary for effective service delivery.”
He stressed that Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and cybercrime, require a more responsive legal framework.
A key provision of the bill is the proposed increase in statutory allocation to the Fund from 0.5 per cent to one per cent of the Federation Account.
The bill also seeks to remove the existing sunset clause, making the Trust Fund a permanent intervention mechanism.
Sheidu explained that the removal of the clause would allow long-term planning and sustained investment.
“These achievements show what is possible with dedicated funding, but more needs to be done to meet the realities of modern policing,” he added.
He listed achievements under the current Act to include nationwide police training, construction of smart police stations, procurement of operational vehicles, rehabilitation of barracks and deployment of modern infrastructure.
The NPTF boss further disclosed plans to establish police hospitals, expand digital policing systems and improve housing and welfare schemes for officers.
Stakeholders at the hearing largely supported the bill but identified gaps requiring legislative attention.
Some participants called for the elevation of the Inspector-General of Police’s representative on the board to Vice Chairman, citing operational expertise.
Others argued that police needs assessment should be handled by the Inspector-General of Police rather than the Minister of Police Affairs.
Civil society organisations also flagged a controversial typographical error in the draft describing the Executive Secretary as a person of “questionable character,” urging lawmakers to correct it.
They further criticised the exclusion of civil society representation from the board and called for its reinstatement to enhance transparency.
Concerns were also raised about the bill’s silence on how the Trust Fund would operate under a future state policing structure.
On governance, stakeholders warned against concentrating excessive powers in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs.
Lawmakers also highlighted poor welfare conditions of police personnel, stressing that increased funding must translate into improved salaries, pensions and insurance.
Some senators decried the excessive deployment of police personnel to VIPs, noting that it reduces manpower available for core duties.
They also criticised the absence of key officials, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Minister of Police Affairs, at the hearing.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmed Abdulhamid Mallam-Madori, assured that all submissions would be reviewed.
He said the Senate remained committed to reforms that would strengthen policing and improve public safety.
The bill, sponsored as an executive proposal by President Bola Tinubu, is part of ongoing efforts to enhance security sector reforms.
The Senate said the final legislation would prioritise police welfare, accountability and responsiveness to Nigeria’s security challenges.