The Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) has called for a substantial increase in its statutory funding allocation as the Senate intensifies efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture amid rising cases of kidnapping, terrorism and other violent crimes.
The proposal was presented today during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Police Affairs on a bill seeking to repeal the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act, 2019 and enact a new Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act, 2026, reports The Nation.
Speaking at the hearing in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the NPTF, Mohammed Sheidu, urged lawmakers to increase the Fund’s statutory allocation from 0.5 per cent to one per cent and permanently remove the sunset clause contained in the current law.
Sheidu said the recommendation had already received the approval of the National Police Council chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following extensive deliberations on the country’s growing security challenges.
According to him, members of the Council, including state governors, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the Inspector-General of Police and other key stakeholders, agreed that enhanced and sustainable funding had become necessary to strengthen policing across the country.
He said the proposed increase would enable greater investment in modern security infrastructure, including surveillance systems, forensic laboratories, command-and-control centres, drones and digital policing technologies needed for effective law enforcement.
“The investments are no longer optional. They are necessities for effective policing in the 21st century,” he said.
Sheidu added that the additional resources would support the rehabilitation of police barracks and stations, expansion of training institutions, procurement of operational equipment and mobility assets, as well as improved welfare for police personnel.
He stressed that removing the sunset clause would provide long-term stability for strategic policing projects and encourage stronger partnerships with international development agencies, donors and private-sector stakeholders.
The NPTF boss further disclosed that the proposed legislation would expand the Fund’s revenue sources through international grants, development levies, special intervention funds, private-sector contributions and philanthropic endowments.
According to him, the measure would reduce dependence on a single funding stream and ensure the sustainability of police development programmes.
He also welcomed provisions in the bill aimed at improving governance and accountability through broader stakeholder representation on the Fund’s board, mandatory financial and technical reporting, the establishment of a Project Implementation Committee and stronger oversight mechanisms.
Highlighting achievements recorded since the Fund’s establishment in 2019, Sheidu said the NPTF had trained and retrained thousands of police personnel, constructed smart police stations, supplied operational vehicles and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, acquired marine gunboats and patrol boats, and executed several infrastructure projects nationwide.
He said the Fund’s five-year strategic plan includes the construction of smart police stations in federal constituencies, establishment of reference hospitals in the six geopolitical zones, deployment of modern command-and-control centres across the country, expansion of capacity-building programmes and implementation of housing schemes for police officers.
Declaring the public hearing open, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, underscored the importance of security to national development, describing it as the foundation for economic growth, investment and social stability.
He said Nigeria must continue to strengthen institutions charged with maintaining law and order and protecting lives and property.
“The Nigeria Police Force occupies a central position in our internal security architecture, and its effectiveness directly impacts public confidence in government and the rule of law,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President noted that the establishment of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund in 2019 was a significant step towards providing sustainable supplementary funding for policing and had contributed to capacity building, infrastructure development and improved welfare for officers and men of the Force.
According to him, thousands of police personnel have benefited from specialised training programmes, while critical infrastructure and operational assets have been provided to enhance the fight against crime and insecurity.
Akpabio, however, said evolving security realities required institutions to adapt, adding that the proposed legislation seeks to address gaps in the existing framework through improved governance, enhanced accountability and a more sustainable funding structure.
“This legislative initiative is not merely about repealing an existing law. It is about building a stronger institution that can more effectively support police modernisation, improve service delivery and contribute meaningfully to our national security objectives,” he said.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Ahmed Abdulhamid Mallam-Madori, said the Trust Fund had made significant contributions to police training, counter-terrorism operations, intelligence-led policing, infrastructure development and personnel welfare.
He acknowledged, however, that the implementation of the current Act had encountered challenges, including uncertainties in parts of the funding framework and litigation arising from some of its provisions.
Mallam-Madori said the new bill was designed to address those concerns by strengthening institutional governance, promoting transparency and accountability, and providing clearer funding mechanisms for the long-term sustainability of the Fund.
Also speaking, a representative of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said the Federal Ministry of Justice had reviewed the proposed legislation and found it consistent with the Constitution and the Federal Government’s policy objectives on security sector reforms.
The ministry consequently endorsed the bill, describing it as a comprehensive legal framework capable of enhancing the operational capacity, efficiency and welfare of the Nigeria Police Force while supporting broader efforts to improve national security and public safety.
