Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja
The Federal Government has approved the recruitment of over 94,000 new personnel across the nation’s security services.
The decision, aimed at strengthening security operations nationwide, follows President Bola Tinubu’s November declaration of a nationwide security emergency.
The largest single bloc of recruitment will see 50,000 new Police Constables join the Nigeria Police Force. The Police Service Commission, in collaboration with the NPF, announced that the recruitment portal will be open to eligible Nigerians from December 15, 2025, to January 25, 2026.
Applicants for the General Duty cadre must possess a minimum of five credits, including English and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings. The recruitment drive also includes a significant intake for the Nigerian Army, with an Army official indicating plans to recruit about 14,000 new soldiers. While the Navy and Air Force did not provide exact figures, sources confirm both services will also increase their intakes.
This new wave of recruitment is in addition to the 30,000 personnel the Ministry of Interior announced for paramilitary agencies in June, a process officials say is being expedited.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, welcomed the move, stating the country was in “dire need of more boots on the ground.” He advocated for a policing ratio that would see at least one officer in every village with over 100 people, suggesting Nigeria might need over one million police personnel.
Security experts, while acknowledging the necessity of the move, cautioned that numbers alone are not a panacea. Retired Brigadier General Peter Aro described the plan as “a welcome signal” and “a first down-payment on what we truly need.” However, he stressed that thorough vetting, modern training, and clear operational doctrine are critical for effectiveness.
Similarly, retired Brigadier General Bashir Adewinbi emphasized the need for rigorous recruitment to ensure committed personnel are employed, rather than political appointees.
The announcement coincided with renewed calls for improved security infrastructure at the state level.
In Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo charged the new Army Brigade Commander to help free the state from insecurity. In Oyo State, the Chairman of the Ibadan Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ibrahim Lawal, called on Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently rebuild the state’s security architecture, noting that “it is getting very close to us.”
Furthermore, Ondo State’s Attorney-General, Kayode Ajulo (SAN), stated that state police have become a “national necessity” to effectively tailor solutions to region-specific crimes, from farmer-herder conflicts to kidnapping and oil theft.
The massive recruitment drive represents the federal government’s most direct intervention to address the critical manpower shortage within the nation’s security apparatus since the emergency was declared.
Discussion about this post