Nigeria’s drive to modernise policing and bolster internal security received a major boost as the Nigeria Police Academy (POLAC), Wudil, Kano, conferred 1,199 cadets from Regular Course 7 in its maiden convocation as a degree-awarding institution.
At the event, the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Anuma Ogbonnaya, charged the graduates to see themselves as frontline defenders of the nation’s peace and stability.
He reminded them that Nigeria’s future security rests on their professionalism, discipline, and adherence to the rule of law.
Gaidam said the Federal Government is committed to aligning the academy’s training with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national security reform agenda, particularly modern policing and ICT-driven crime-fighting strategies.
He emphasised that policing in a diverse nation like Nigeria requires collaboration, respect for human rights, crisis de-escalation, and accountability.
“No single agency can confront today’s complex security threats alone; you must build strong partnerships, uphold the law with restraint, and protect the sanctity of human life at all times,” he said.
The minister noted that the government will continue supporting the academy to ensure it produces police officers capable of responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
Historic Milestone
The Commandant of the Academy, AIG Patrick Adedeji Atayero, described the convocation as a landmark moment, marking over a decade since POLAC became Nigeria’s 37th federal university and the 124th university nationwide.
Atayero announced that the academy is expanding its academic and professional capacity, with all its programmes recently receiving full accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“New degree programmes—such as Criminology and Security Studies, as well as education in History, English, Physics, Computer Science, and Sociology—will commence in the 2025/2026 academic year.
“The academy is also preparing to launch its first postgraduate school, with specialised centres for research, policing innovation, counselling, and entrepreneurship already operational.”
According to the Commandant, since its inception, POLAC has trained 3,698 cadets, including 543 females.
He said the current graduating class, Regular Course 7, is the largest since 2018 and will join the Nigeria Police Force at a time of intensified national recruitment to strengthen manpower and security operations across the country.
Atayero urged the graduates to serve as “forces of change” capable of restoring public confidence, leading reforms, and staying ahead of criminal networks through professionalism and innovation.
Boost National Security
He explained that the combined graduation underscores the Federal Government’s broader push to rebuild internal security capacity.
“As President Tinubu directs the recruitment of 50,000 additional police officers, POLAC is positioned to supply a new generation of technologically equipped, academically grounded, and ethically trained personnel.”
The Commandant expressed confidence that the graduates will raise the standards of policing nationwide and contribute significantly to stabilising the security environment.
He congratulated all cadets, urging them to uphold the academy’s core values of service, discipline, patriotism, and excellence.
In a valedictory speech, one of the best graduating students, Mr Alakahi Tahav Solomon, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed readiness to serve the country with dedication.