By Ngozi Nwankwo
Tertiary Education Trust Fund,TETFUND, has pledged to back the modernisation of the Nigeria Police Force through investments in education, technology, research and specialised training as it prepares to support a new police university campus in Ogun State.
TETFund Executive Secretary Arch. Sonny Echono gave the assurance Thursday in Abuja while receiving Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu and a delegation from the Nigeria Police Force at the agency’s headquarters.
Echono described the visit as historic and said TETFund was ready to partner with the police to strengthen the Nigeria Police Academy and facilitate the takeoff of the newly approved campus. He said President Bola Tinubu had approved intervention funding for the project and directed that infrastructural development begin immediately.
“Our team will move next week for a joint inspection and evaluation of the facilities needed for takeoff,” Echono said.
He said TETFund would fund critical infrastructure and capacity development to help reposition the police to tackle security challenges driven by technology and intelligence. Echono urged the force to ensure the Ogun campus attains full university status within four years to qualify for annual direct intervention funding.
“Once it becomes a self-sustaining institution, it will receive annual funding as a right. Then you will be getting support for two institutions instead of one,” he said.
The agency also pledged support for specialised training in cyber security, aviation technology, intelligence gathering, forensic science and digital policing. Echono said modern security operations require highly educated, technology-driven personnel to respond to evolving criminal threats.
He stressed the need for closer collaboration between security institutions and the education sector, particularly in protecting schools and campuses from kidnapping and violent attacks.
“Our first line of defence across the country remains the Nigerian Police. We will continue to rely on you for the safety of our schools and campuses,” he said.
Echono commended Disu for his professionalism, saying his track record preceded him.
Speaking earlier, Disu said the force was modernising policing through education, innovation, data-driven intelligence and strategic partnerships.
He noted that policing could no longer rely on outdated methods, adding that crime fighting had become increasingly scientific and technology-driven.
“We realise we cannot do our jobs without you. All the complaints against the police boil down to education,” he told TETFund officials.
The IGP said the force was investing in artificial intelligence, drone operations, crime analytics and forensic investigations to align Nigerian policing with global standards.
He appealed for sustained intervention in lecture theatres, laboratories, ICT facilities, hostels, libraries, research centres and staff development programmes, and assured TETFund of transparency in the use of funds.
Disu also called for greater public support for police officers working under difficult conditions, noting that officers continue to die in the line of duty.
