On 27 January 2026, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) formally validated and endorsed the revised Gender-Responsive Policing and Community Engagement (GRPCE) Training Manual and Workbook during a one-day national validation workshop in Abuja.

The training materials were developed by the Leonard & Nkiruka Okonkwo Foundation (LANOF) with the support of the GS-Foundation. They are designed to strengthen professionalism, ethical conduct, gender equality, and structured community engagement in policing practice. Following the endorsement, the manuals are expected to be rolled out nationwide across police academies, training institutions, and operational units.

The validation workshop brought together 32 senior representatives from the Nigeria Police Force, including police leadership, training institutions, and specialised departments. Through a participatory and practice-oriented review process, participants assessed the manuals as relevant, timely, and well aligned with the operational realities of policing in Nigeria. The group also provided concrete recommendations to further refine and strengthen the materials.

A key outcome of the workshop was the recommendation to formally institutionalise the GRPCE Manual and Workbook and use them as the foundation for a standardised, gender-responsive policing curriculum within the Nigeria Police Force.

The validation workshop formed part of a joint initiative by the GS-Foundation, the Nigeria Police Force, and UNDP, aimed at strengthening professional, accountable, and community-oriented policing in Nigeria. The project is implemented on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office. The development of the GRPCE materials builds on the GS-Foundation’s broader engagement in the areas of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention, including the training of Gender Desk Officers and the establishment of Gender Labs within police structures.

While the workshop took place in early 2026, it represents an activity that was planned and financed under the 2025 project cycle, with implementation delayed solely due to scheduling constraints. Its successful completion marks an important milestone in advancing gender-responsive and citizen-focused policing reforms in Nigeria.