Governors Stunned Over Deplorable State of Police Training School in Rivers
Three state governors Peter Mbah of Enugu, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun have expressed shock and dismay over the deplorable state of the Nigeria Police Training School in Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State.
The governors, who were part of a National Economic Council (NEC) delegation mandated to assess the condition of security training institutions across the country, described the facility as a reflection of the deep-rooted neglect in Nigeria’s security infrastructure.
During Thursday’s inspection, the team was confronted with scenes of severe decay: collapsed roofs, broken doors and windows, overgrown parade grounds, and dilapidated hostels. Many of the classrooms were reportedly unfit for use, while some sections of the compound have been abandoned for years.
Governor Peter Mbah, who chairs the NEC Ad-Hoc Committee on Security Training Institutions, lamented that the level of deterioration undermines the country’s efforts to professionalize the police force.
“We cannot demand integrity and excellence from our security agents without first instilling those values in their training institutions,” Mbah said. “The condition of this facility is unacceptable and must be urgently addressed.”
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State said the visit was part of a broader effort to reform and modernize the nation’s security apparatus.
“What we have seen here speaks volumes about why morale is low in our security sector,” Abiodun noted.
The President has made clear that we cannot build a safer Nigeria without building our training capacity. This visit shows the political will to act.”
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who hosted the delegation, pledged his administration’s full support for the reform process, describing the inspection as “both bold and necessary.”
“This is not just about fixing buildings,” Fubara said. “It’s about restoring morale, improving capacity, and ensuring that our officers are trained under conditions that inspire confidence and discipline.”
The NEC committee has been given a one-month deadline to produce a detailed blueprint for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and re-equipping of police training institutions nationwide.
The federal government’s plan to recruit 30,000 new police personnel is also expected to hinge on the successful restoration of these facilities, ensuring that new intakes receive proper training in modern, well-equipped environments.
Observers say the Nonwa facility’s condition underscores broader challenges in Nigeria’s security system from inadequate funding and poor maintenance to the lack of coordination between federal and state authorities.
Experts have urged the government to ensure that the forthcoming overhaul includes infrastructure upgrades, curriculum modernization, and instructor retraining, rather than cosmetic renovations.
“This should be the beginning of a comprehensive reform not a one-off project,” said a senior NEC official who accompanied the delegation.
The committee’s report is expected to guide a nationwide policy on rebuilding the nation’s security training institutions in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for national security reform.
