By: Victor Ogunyemi

The TETFUND Center of Excellence in Multidisciplinary Studies (TCEMS), University of Ibadan (UI), on Monday, 3rd June 2024 held its First Personality Lecture at Trenchard Hall UI.

The lecture titled “The Nigerian Police Force and the Management of Internal Security” was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale; the guest lecturer, who is the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Kayode A. Egbetokun; and the Acting Director of the TCEMS, Dr. Benjamin A. Aluko, among others.

Professor Adebowale, in his welcome address, stated that the University of Ibadan as an institution has always been very careful in giving platforms to people to speak at its public lectures.

He said this emphasizing the need for the lecture.

“Due diligence is always made in selecting people of integrity and knowledge, those who have valid contributions to national discourse in a bid to find enduring solutions to national challenges,” he said.

Professor Adebowale stated that the university deemed Dr. Egbetokun suitable to deliver the first Personality Lecture at the TETFUND Centre of Excellence for Multidisciplinary Studies.

Speaking on the topic, Dr. Egbetokun stated that Nigeria can pave the way for a more stable, prosperous, and inclusive future for all its citizens by addressing the root causes of internal security challenges and mitigating their consequences.

Dr. Egbetokun stated that internal security challenges in Nigeria have profound and multifaceted consequences that impact human rights, socio-economic development, political stability, and governance effectiveness.

He stated that addressing these consequences require comprehensive strategies that prioritize peace building, conflict resolution, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development.

The IGP mentioned that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), since his assumption of leadership had adopted three strategic policing methods which he listed as confrontation, suppression, and accommodation to counter security challenges in Nigeria.

He added that the NPF works closely with the military and other security agencies to coordinate efforts and ensure a unified response to various security challenges.

According to the IGP, ‘progress has been made in implementing reforms, but challenges and implementation gaps persist’.

He then added that ‘sustained political commitment, institutional reforms, and stakeholders engagement are required to drive meaningful change within the NPF’.

Dr. Egbetokun said that despite the numerous challenges faced by the Nigeria Police Force in managing internal security during crises, there have been notable achievements that demonstrate the potential and resilience of the Force.

He noted that the NPF has made strides in adopting modern technology and intelligence-gathering techniques and implementing community policing initiatives.

Dr. Egbetokun urged the Nigerian government to sustain its commitment to ongoing reforms within the NPF and allocate sufficient budgetary resources to the police force.

The IGP also advised the Nigerian government to take decisive action to combat corruption and impunity within the NPF.

Dr. Aluko said the Centre is one of the twelve Centres of Excellence established by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in Nigerian universities in November 2020.

He said the vision of the Centre is to expand the frontiers of knowledge in ‘Early Warning Systems and Security Management’ for sustainable peace and development of the Nigerian state in particular and the African continent in general.