Olukayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), claims that the agency’s attempts to combat crime are hampered by a lack of manpower.
To successfully secure the nation, he claims, the police require an additional 190,000 personnel.
This was said by IGP Egbetokun in a report he presented on Wednesday to the Senior Executive Course 45 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State.
According to Egbetokun, Nigeria’s police-citizen ratio is 1 to 650, which is higher than the UN’s recommendation of one police officer for every 460 citizens.
To be equal to the United Nations’ suggested ratio, the NPF needs an additional 190,000 workers, he said.
The police chief stated that the government’s push for industrialization would become unachievable if the nation is not well-policed.
Because of this, the IGP continued, “the government’s efforts to industrialize could be hampered by the inadequate manpower, which has led to a low police presence.”
“Industrial facilities could become prone to criminal activity and impede economic progress without proper police presence and response capability.”
He continued by saying that the Nigerian police’s lack of personnel also limits their ability to protect the nation’s vital infrastructure.
The IGP is hosting a meeting on defense and security studies on Wednesday to address the role of law enforcement in relation to the three major concerns of industrialization, energy security, and climate change
