Project Overview

• Goal: Support the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Office of the President to develop governance and leadership capacities, ensuring sustainable reforms.
• Duration: 2024-2025
• Commissioning Party: United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• Beneficiaries: Nigerian Police Force
• Status: Ongoing

Why it Matters

Nigeria faces significant challenges, including rising insecurity, conflicts, and armed violence. The Nigerian government’s Police Reform Initiative, outlined in the “Framework for the Presidential Police Reform Roadmap,” aims to address these issues by establishing institutional frameworks for sustainable reform. The GS-Foundation plays a vital role by supporting governance improvements, modernizing training programs, and fostering trust between police and communities.

Key Sub-Projects

Special Intervention Squad
One of the core sub-projects focuses on the establishment of a highly trained and well-equipped Special Intervention Squad within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). This unit is designed to respond swiftly and effectively to critical security situations across the country. The sub-project includes advanced training programs and the provision of modern equipment, ensuring the squad is flexible, mobile, and operational in any part of Nigeria. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the NPF’s ability to address emerging and dynamic security threats, and is a joint effort of the US-American Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the GS-Foundation.

Gender Unit and Sexual- and Gender-based Violence Response (SGBV)
Another key sub-project supports the NPF’s Gender Unit, which addresses issues of Sexual- and Gender-based Violence. This sub-project focuses on two main activities:

• Equipping the Gender Lab: The lab is vital for the analysis and exchange of data related to SGBV, helping the NPF build a strong evidence-based approach.
• Training Gender Desk Officers: Through Train-the-Trainer seminars, we empower gender desk officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to train their colleagues on how to handle cases of SGBV, thus ensuring a widespread, systemic response to cases of violence against women and children.

Community-Policing-Engagement-Pilot Project
A significant part of the reform effort is a pilot project aimed at improving the community’s trust in the police. This initiative has been designed as a pilot project and is being carried out in one district of Abuja, where we are:

• Dividing the district into smaller patrol areas with consistent officer assignments to increase police visibility and engagement with the community.
• Establishing an operations center and enhancing police equipment to improve the efficiency of operations.

The goal is to create a model of interactive and community-oriented policing, which can later be expanded across Nigeria.

Leadership Trainings

The leadership training offered by the GS-Foundation provides participants with practical tools and strategies to address modern leadership challenges and inspire positive change. Through a combination of individual reflection and collaborative learning, participants gain valuable insights into key aspects of leadership, including:

• Strategic approaches to managing current and emerging policing challenges.
• Issues of police administration.
• Operational strategies and other related topics.

Additionally, leadership courses are offered for Nigerian female police officers, tailored to their specific needs.

Renovation and Equipment Modernization
This sub-project addresses the need to modernize the infrastructure and equipment of the Nigerian Police Force. Key components include:

• Renovating Police Training Colleges: Providing better facilities for the training of police officers to ensure they are well-prepared for modern policing challenges.
• Supplying Modern Equipment: Ensuring that the NPF is equipped with the latest tools and technology to perform their duties efficiently and effectively. This will also help foster a more professional image of the force and enhance the training environment.

Goals and Impact