The Chairman, House Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cybersecurity, Hon. Adedeji Stanley Dhikrullahi Olajide, has expressed concerns over the inadequate funding of the Nigeria Police Force,
Hon. Olajide said this, while speaking during the budget defence session on the 2025 Appropriation Bill of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Police.
The two term PDP lawmaker, who is also a member of the House committee on National security and intelligence, condemned the poor release of funds, which he described as a significant impediment to the effectiveness and ability of the Police in Nigeria to meet their operational demands and adopt modern ICT practices.
While commending the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for the impressive performance of the 2024 budget, Olajide, pointed out that, going by figures presented during the session, the federal government allocated 60 billion naira to the police in the 2024 budget, only 25 billion naira was released, representing less than half of the approved budgetary allocation.
This significant shortfall, Hon. Olajide clamoured, would adversely impact the operational efficiency of the police and put the lives of personnel at risk.
“How do we expect the Nigeria Police to be ICT-compliant and compete with advanced nations if we continue to underfund them,” Hon. Olajide queried.
He stressed that the era of neglecting critical security agencies must end if the country is serious about addressing insecurity and modernizing its law enforcement, with a call on both chambers of the National Assembly to support the police by ensuring the full release of allocated funds in the 2025 budget.
Olajide emphasized that releasing the funds should go hand in hand with a mechanism to hold the police accountable for their utilization.
“If we release these funds, we must also put them to task and demand results. The safety of our citizens and the ability of our police to operate efficiently in today’s technologically advanced world depend on adequate funding,” he stated.
The Joint Committee on Police, in reviewing the 2025 budget proposal, noted that the Nigeria Police is requesting ₦75 billion to enhance its operations, particularly in adopting ICT-driven strategies to tackle crime and bolster intelligence gathering.
