The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the German Federal Foreign Office, through the Supporting Police Reforms Processes in Nigeria, has renovated a Central Planning and training Unit Complex for the Nigeria Police at the Police Staff College Jos.
The foreign partners said the aim is to ensure that the Nigeria Police continue to perform its responsibility of providing the international best practice of Policing in the Country.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Center in Jos on Wednesday, the representative of the German Embassy Abuja, Mr. Matthias Dold (first Secretary Political Counsellor), said partnering with the Nigeria Police is to ensure a safer country for its citizens.
According to him: “Our partnership with the Nigerian Police dated back in 2018, when our then Chancellor visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria and they agreed on a mutual programme to reform the Police.
“The training center you see here today is only one part of the reform process for which I congratulate them. Apart from the renovated structure, We bring our Police officers from Germany to come and train the Nigerian Police officers. It is called training the trainee course.
“The training which will be carried out at this renovated center will trickle down to every Police officer in Nigeria. Our aim is to ensure a safer Nigeria by ensuring a Police Force that is capable of preventing crime, investigating crime, de-escalating crime and conflict situations and not just fighting it”, Dold said.
On his Part, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, said it has always been his desire to breed a thorough Force that is well knowledgeable in fighting, preventing and combating crime.
He said this can only be achieved through training and retaining officers and men of the force.
“There is need for training of personnel as a prerequisite for reforming the Force for optimal performance. The inauguration and donation of this renovated complex by the UNDP and its partners is a lead way to achieving the much desired knowledge.
“The center will in no doubt develop the capacities of officers and men to meet international best practice”, he said.
While appreciating the foreign donors for the Project, the IGP further said the conducive learning environment equipped with world class facilities will further boost the efficiency of officers.
“What more can we say than to thank you for your cordial, bilateral partnership with the federal government of Nigeria for renovating these structures, procuring office furniture and equipment which we are witnessing today”, the IGP added.
Our correspondent reports that the Police boss was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Hafiz M. Inuwa, who is the DIG Department Training and Development.
Other partners who joined the UNDP and the German Corporation Deutsche Zusammenarbeit for executing the project are the Police Reforms and Transformation Office (PORTO) and Global Security Sector Reforms Foundation (GSF).