The acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun says the Force needs additional 190,000 personnel to effectively secure the country.
Egbetokun disclosed this on Wednesday, in a paper presentation to the Senior Executive Course 45 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State.
The IGP, who said insufficient manpower is hindering police’s efforts to tackle crime in the country, noted that Nigeria has a police-citizen ratio of 1-650 in contradiction to the UN recommendation of one police personnel to 460 citizens ratio.
“Therefore, the NPF requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at parity with the United Nations recommended ratio.
“Therefore, the inadequate manpower, which has resulted in a low police presence, could hinder the government’s industrialisation efforts. Without sufficient police presence and response capabilities, industrial sites could become vulnerable to criminal activities and hamper economic progress”, he said.
According to him, the low manpower of the Nigerian police is also affecting its capacity to secure the country’s critical infrastructure.
