Global Security Sector Reform Foundation (GS-Foundation), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Police Reform and Transformation Office (PORTO), has trained about 600 police officers in Nigeria.
Tunji Lardner, CEO of PORTO, announced this development at the conclusion of a comprehensive training program aimed at equipping Nigerian police officers with the knowledge and skills required for effective police reforms.
The program, funded by the Federal Foreign Office of the Government of Germany, falls under the Supporting Police Reform Processes in Nigeria Project, News About Nigeria gathered.
Lardner highlighted the significance of the training, which took place in multiple batches, as it exposed the police officers to global best practices in andragogy and adult education.
He noted that the project had actively supported the Nigerian government’s implementation of its Police Reform agenda since December 2021.
The training aimed to shift the learning approach from drilling to a more classroom-oriented method, promoting a conducive learning environment. In further support of this objective, the project also renovated and equipped the Central Police Training Unit (CPTU) in Jos, Plateau State.
Moreover, Lardner also said the training of 66 Police Public Relations Officers (PROs) has significantly improved communication regarding reforms within the Nigeria Police Force.
He emphasized that the project’s intervention was based on a comprehensive needs assessment conducted in collaboration with GS-Foundation, UNDP, and PORTO.
The collaborative partnership is said to have played a crucial role in achieving the objectives of police reform. In three separate batches, officers underwent a week-long training experience designed to equip them with practical teaching strategies for training recruits at police colleges and personnel across commands and zones.
This achievement builds upon the success of the project, which trained more than 500 police officers in nine batches between June 2022 and May 2023.
