By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Key stakeholders on Tuesday endorsed the proposed amendment of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) Act, 2019, describing it as a critical step toward strengthening the funding base of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and enhancing its capacity to address the country’s evolving security challenges.
The endorsement was made during a one-day public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Police Affairs and chaired by Senator Ahmed Mallam-Madori.
Speaking at the hearing, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, Mohammed Sheidu, said the Fund was established in 2019 to bridge longstanding funding gaps in police training, equipment, infrastructure and personnel welfare.
According to him, while the Fund has served as a strategic intervention platform over the last six years, implementation of the existing law has revealed legislative, structural and funding limitations that require a stronger legal framework.
Sheidu noted that Nigeria’s security landscape has become increasingly complex since 2019, with threats ranging from terrorism and banditry to kidnapping, cybercrime and organised criminal activities.
He explained that the proposed legislation aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by creating a more sustainable institutional framework for financing police modernisation, technological advancement, infrastructure development, training and personnel welfare.
He particularly commended provisions in the proposed 2026 legislation that seek to remove the Fund’s sunset clause and increase its statutory allocation from 0.5 per cent to one per cent, describing them as timely measures for ensuring long-term sustainability.
“Police reform and modernisation are continuous processes that require strategic planning and sustained investment,” he said.
Also speaking, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by Imarha Reuben, said the bill would significantly improve the operational efficiency and welfare of the Nigeria Police Force through sustainable funding, acquisition of modern equipment, infrastructure upgrades and enhanced welfare packages.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Anuma Nlia, said the repeal and re-enactment of the Act would consolidate achievements recorded under the current law while repositioning the Fund to respond more effectively to emerging security threats.
Nlia noted that the NPTF had contributed significantly to improving police effectiveness through the construction and rehabilitation of police stations, barracks and accommodation facilities nationwide.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Ahmed Mallam-Madori, stressed the importance of a professional, well-trained, adequately funded and properly equipped police force in maintaining law and order and safeguarding democratic institutions.
He acknowledged the achievements recorded by the Fund but pointed out that implementation of the current Act had been hampered by funding uncertainties and legal disputes arising from some of its provisions.
According to him, the executive bill is designed to address these challenges and strengthen institutional governance within the Fund.
Declaring the hearing open, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Osita Ngwu, described the Nigeria Police Force as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
Akpabio said the establishment of the Police Trust Fund in 2019 was a bold initiative aimed at providing sustainable supplementary funding for policing and improving the Force’s capacity, professionalism, welfare and operational readiness.
Stakeholders at the hearing expressed optimism that the proposed amendments would provide the legal and financial framework needed to support ongoing police reforms and strengthen national security efforts.
