President Bola Tinubu had a marathon day of high-level meetings on Thursday in Abuja, where he approved a total of 959 National Honours and endorsed key structural reforms aimed at securing sustainable funding for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The President presided over the National Council of State and the Police Council meetings at the State House.
National Honours for 959 Nigerians and Non-Nationals
President Tinubu formally approved the conferment of 959 national honours, which include awards for 2024, 2025, and special recognitions granted earlier in the year.
- Screening Process: Dr. Emanso Umobong, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, announced that the National Honours Award Committee, chaired by Justice Sidi Bage, screened over 5,000 applications before selecting the final recipients.
- Recipients Breakdown: The total of 959 honourees comprises 824 recipients for the standard 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awardees personally recognized by the President since January 2025.
- Purpose: The awards are an annual tradition recognizing deserving Nigerians and non-nationals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the nation and humanity.
Dr. Umobong highlighted several distinguished individuals already recognized by the President in the spirit of inclusive national recognition, including:
- Bill Gates, for contributions to public health.
- Uncle Sam Pemu, for journalism.
- The Super Falcons and D’Tigress, for excellence in sports.
- Posthumous honours for the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four, for environmental activism.
- Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing INEC Chairman, for his service to Nigeria’s democracy.
The detailed list of all 959 awardees is expected to be published soon.
Police Council Approves Overhaul of Police Trust Fund
Following the Council of State session, President Tinubu chaired the Nigeria Police Council, where major reforms for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) were unanimously approved.
In his first press briefing since assuming office, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, detailed the critical resolutions ratified by the Council:
1. Removal of the Sunset Clause
The Council approved the repeal and re-enactment of the 2019 Police Trust Fund Establishment Act. This action is intended to remove the existing six-year limit (sunset clause), transforming the NPTF into a permanent agency.
Geidam explained that the sunset clause “limits the lifespan of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund and impedes long-term planning, thereby constraining sustainable police reform.”
2. Increased Funding Allocation
The Council approved an upward review of the NPTF’s allocation from the current 0.5% to 1% of the Federation Account. This increase is designed to ensure stable funding for police training, welfare, technology acquisition, and logistics, which the NPTF was established in 2019 to address.
The Minister confirmed that all proposals were approved “without any omission,” and the Attorney-General of the Federation was directed to incorporate all resolutions into an Executive Bill for transmission to the National Assembly. This legislative action is expected to usher in a new era of robust and sustainable funding for Nigeria’s police force.
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