President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the Nigeria Police Training Institutions (Establishment) Bill, 2024, a landmark legislation that provides statutory recognition and structure for 48 police training institutions nationwide.

The new Act, sponsored by Senator Ahmed Abdulhamid Malam-Madori, seeks to institutionalise police education, promote continuous professional development, and align Nigeria’s law enforcement training with international standards.

The law classifies Nigeria’s police training infrastructure into five categories — Police Colleges, Police Training Schools, Police Tactical Schools, Police Technical Training Schools, and other specialised institutions — strategically spread across the six geopolitical zones.

Among those formally recognised are the Police Colleges in Ikeja, Kaduna, Maiduguri and Oji River, the Police Staff College in Jos, and the Police Detective College in Enugu.

Also listed are Police Training Schools in Bauchi, Minna, Sokoto, Benin, Wanune, Calabar, Ilorin, Ibadan, Iperu, Jos, Owerri, Nonwa-Tai, Oyin-Akoko, Ekiti, Gwaram, Malabu-Fufore and Bende.

Under the new framework, elite Police Tactical Schools such as the Mobile Training Schools in Gwoza, Ila-Orangun and Ende-Hill, the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) Schools in Nonwa-Tai and Gombe, and the Special Protection Unit (SPU) School in Kafin Hausa now have full legal backing.

The law also formalises specialised training centres including the K9 Training School in Bukuru-Jos, the Mounted Troop Training School in Jos, the Marine Training School in Toru-Orua, and the Police Pre-Retirement Training School in Kudan.

Other Police Training Categories

Under the Police Technical Training category, recognised institutions include the Police Public Relations School in Lafia and Abuja, the Central Planning and Training Unit in Jos, the Police School of Intelligence in Shere, and the Police Schools of Communication in Kudan and Ikeja.

Others are the Police School of Music, the Driving School in Ikeja, and the Police Veterinary Training School in Abuja.

Specialised centres such as the Police Institute of Digital Studies and Cyber Security in Abeokuta, the Police School of Nursing and Midwifery in Ezimo, the National Institute of Police Studies in Life Camp, the Police Short Service Training Institute in Ikot Ekpene, and the Police School of Finance and Administration in Umueri were also given legal status.

Senator Malam-Madori described the presidential assent as “a transformative moment in Nigeria’s internal security architecture,” adding that it would “professionalise police training, deepen research in security management, and align Nigeria’s policing culture with global best practices.”

Some security experts have hailed the new laws as one of the most comprehensive legislative reforms in Nigeria’s policing history, expected to enhance professionalism, accountability, and service delivery in the force.