The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olukayode Egbetokun says insufficient manpower is hindering the agency’s efforts to tackle crime, saying the police need an extra 190,000 personnel to effectively man the country.

IGP Egbetokun said this in a paper presentation to the Senior Executive Course 45 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State on Wednesday.

According to him, while the UN recommended one police personnel to 460 citizens ratio, Nigeria has a police-citizen ratio of 1-650.

“Therefore, the NPF requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at parity with the United Nations recommended ratio,” he said.

The police chief noted that if the country is not well-policed, the government’s industrialisation drive would become unrealistic.

“Therefore, the inadequate manpower, which has resulted in a low police presence, could hinder the government’s industrialization efforts,” the IGP added.

“Without sufficient police presence and response capabilities, industrial sites could become vulnerable to criminal activities and hamper economic progress.”

Aside from this, the low manpower of the Nigerian police is also affecting its capacity to secure the country’s critical infrastructure.

Wednesday’s meeting is part of defence and security studies towards their research for the year hosted by IGP at the Institute lecture hall to discuss the role of police around the three big issues of industrialisation, energy security, and climate change.

The Security Studies Week is an avenue for security chiefs of the military, police, and other para-military outfits to deliver papers for the final research work of the senior executive course.