Nigeria Police Education Unit: Time for a Digital Overhaul.

 

 

The Nigeria Police Education Unit must urgently reposition itself for a modern, technology-driven era. In a world powered by digital innovation, it is no longer acceptable for a critical arm of the Police Force to operate largely on outdated, analog processes.

 

Under the leadership of DCP Ibidapo Oludare, Force Education Officer (FEO),

the recent promotion examination conducted in Abuja has exposed deep cracks in planning, welfare, and staff assessment management. Officers from across the country were compelled to travel long distance for an exercise that could easily have been conducted through Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and secure online platforms.

In an age of digital transformation, why should personnel risk their lives on highways for an assessment that technology can seamlessly deliver?

Beyond the stress of travelling, there were serious welfare concerns. Many officers reportedly arrived in Abuja without adequate provision for accommodation or Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), leaving them stranded for days. Such gaps point to systemic planning failures that must be addressed with urgency. It goes to motive that teachers of the Force Education Unit alongside other personnel deserve a better deal from their employer than the drudgery of being subjected to the risk of travelling from their various places of residents across Nigeria to Abuja for an exercise they can conveniently carry out with a computer system even in their respective offices. As a 21st century Police Force, there is the need to wake up to the reality of technology driven policing.

 

 

Speaking to journalists who called to find out about this development , the Director of Human Resources in the Force Education Unit, Dr. Augustine  Ayegba, acknowledged the challenges and assured that necessary steps would be taken to properly notify and structure future exercises. He stated that this would be the last time officers would be required to travel to Abuja for promotion examinations, hinting at plans for decentralization and improved coordination.

 

However, he also noted that the large number of candidates made it difficult to meet DTA obligations, as the expense was not captured in the budget. That admission alone underscores the need for better budgetary arrangement ahead of time , data management, and digital personnel systems.

Officers who spoke to polity.net were unequivocal: the entire system must embrace full digitalization. They decried situations where names of deceased personnel still appear on nominal rolls — a glaring indication of poor database management. They called for zonal examination centres across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and the adoption of CBT to eliminate unnecessary travel.

 

More troubling are reports that some officers were involved in serious road accidents while traveling for the examination, with no official statement yet from the Education Unit. Silence in moments like this only deepens dissatisfaction within the ranks.

Another contentious issue is the elongation of tenure for officers due for retirement. Many argue that compulsory retirement policies must be respected to create room for younger, energetic officers to rise through the ranks. A progressive institution must balance experience with generational renewal.

 

 

A case study is the issue of the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbwtokun, who by the grace of the Presidency had his tenure elongated until his resignation recently. Obviously, there are still officers in the education unit who should have bowed out for fresh blood to be injected into the system but they are still enjoying the grace of tenure elongation at the expense of the recruitment of young and energetic prospective staffs.

 

When tenure elongation becomes routine, it risks stagnation and blocks career advancement for deserving personnel.

If the Nigeria Police Force is to rebuild and reposition itself for efficiency and global best practices, reform must start with its education and assessment architecture. Digital systems, transparent data management, zonal CBT centres, proper welfare budgeting, and clear retirement policies are no longer optional — they are necessary.

 

The future of policing in Nigeria depends on modernization. The time to act is now.