Council of State approves increase in Police Trust Fund allocation to 1 percent

By Kunle Sanni –

The Council of State, chaired by President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday approved an upward review of the statutory allocation to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) from 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the Federation Account.

The decision, aimed at strengthening police reforms and improving security operations nationwide, was announced by the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, after the Council’s meeting at the State House, Abuja.

Gaidam explained that the Trust Fund, established in 2019 to support the training, welfare, and modernization of the Nigeria Police Force, was initially created with a renewable six-year lifespan. He noted that this “sunset clause” had limited the Fund’s effectiveness and hindered long-term planning for sustainable police reform.

“The sunset clause in the current Act impedes long-term planning and constrains sustainable police reform,” the minister said. “The Council has therefore approved a proposal to repeal and re-enact the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Establishment Act, 2025, to remove the clause and make the Fund a permanent agency.”

According to Gaidam, the Council also endorsed the increase of the Fund’s allocation to 1 percent of the Federation Account to provide a more reliable and sustainable source of financing for police operations.

“We prayed to the Council that the deduction of 0.5 percent from the Federation Account should be reviewed upward to 1 percent. This increase is critical for sustainable funding of police reforms,” he said.

The minister added that the enhanced allocation will enable the Fund to more effectively execute its mandate in areas such as training and retraining of police personnel, procurement of modern equipment, improvement of welfare packages, and investment in technology-driven policing initiatives.

He further stated that the Fund’s focus will include advancing the modernization of the Nigeria Police Force by enhancing communication systems, upgrading surveillance capabilities, and strengthening emergency response operations across the country.