Nigeria Police Calls on Retired Officers to Serve as Ad‑Hoc Trainers for New Recruits
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has issued a nationwide directive calling for retired officers to return temporarily as ad‑hoc trainers for incoming recruits.
According to a wireless message dated December 8, 2025, from the Force Headquarters’ Department of Training and Development (DTD), NPF is requesting names of eligible retired officers — specifically those who left service between 2020 and 2025, and held ranks from Inspector up to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
The retired officers must be well‑versed in key policing statutes such as the Police Act 2020 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, and have competence in at least one of the following areas: drill, musketry, unarmed combat, professional/legal studies or liberal studies.
They will be considered for roles as instructors at police colleges and training schools across Nigeria, helping to train new constables.
The message instructs all commands, including zonal commands, state commands, and specialised units, to forward names of interested and qualified retired officers. Required information includes full name, serial number, highest academic qualification, date of retirement, last command served, area of training competence, and preferred training institution.
Submissions must be sent by December 18, 2025, and the directive was marked “immediate” with high urgency by police headquarters.
Context: Part of Broader Recruitment Effort
This move by the Nigeria Police comes amid broader efforts to expand the force. Early December 2025, the Police Service Commission (PSC), in collaboration with the NPF and other agencies, held a stakeholders meeting to plan the recruitment of up to 50,000 officers nationwide.
Experts and officials have noted that the success of such a large‑scale recruitment drive is tied to the availability of adequate training facilities, something the government has acknowledged and plans to address through a major overhaul of police training schools.
By engaging retired officers as temporary trainers, the NPF hopes to quickly build capacity and accelerate the training of new recruits, even as efforts to rehabilitate training institutions continue.