Nigerian Police Force: Recruitment, Portal & Requirements (2024)

For those who want to know all about Nigerian Police Force, recruitment, application and requirements, this post will offer valuable information about the Nigerian police history and even provide you with the official portal for Application into the Nigerian Police Force.

Nigerian Police History

The Nigeria Police Force was formally established in 1930. This was even before Nigeria got her independence from the British colonial masters. In times past, the Nigeria police was divided into the Northern Nigeria Police and the Southern Nigeria Police. It was later on that they merged into one single unit.

With an estimated number of 371, 900 able bodied officers in the Nigeria Police, the current Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris said in a report that the force will recruit more able bodied men to add to its number to make it 650,000. This means about 280,000 fresh people will be added to the president number. This is in a bid to ensure effective policing in Nigeria and her environs.

You should note that Salary structure of the Nigerian Police is according to the ranks in the Nigerian Police Force.

Official Motto of The Nigerian Police

The motto of the Nigerian Police is “The Police is Your Friend”. Although, the character that officers of the Nigerian Police Force exhibits these days isn’t that friendly as the force is presently faced with numerous challenges such as funding and lack of effective training of its officers.

Organization of the Nigerian Police Force

We have covered the various departments in the Nigerian police here. The Organization in the Nigeria police force is not that complex as the organization is made up of 36 commands and grouped into 12 zones. The 12 zones are then grouped into 7 administrative organs.

Ranks in The Nigerian Police Force

The Ranks In The Nigerian Police Force are divided into three structures namely:

1. Administrative structure

2. Authority structure and

3. Organizational structure

For those who want to start a career in the Nigerian Police Force and are looking for the authority ranks in Nigerian police (NPF), you are at the right page as we shall list the Nigerian Police Force ranks from the highest rank in the Nigerian Police (IGP)  to the lowest rank in the police force, constable.

Below are the official ranks of the Nigerian Police Force:

• Inspector General of Police (Highest Rank In The Nigerian Police Force)
• Deputy Inspector General of Police
• Assistant Inspector General of Police
• Commissioner of Police
• Deputy Commissioner of Police
• Assistant Commissioner of Police
• Chief Superintendent of Police
• Superintendent of Police
• Deputy Superintendent of Police
• Assistant Superintendent of Police
• Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police
• Inspector
• Sergeant
• Corporal (Lowest Rank in The Nigerian Police Force)

Training of Recruits in the Nigerian Police

The Deputy Inspector General of Police handles the training in the Nigeria Police Force. Recruits are trained according to their specialty in various locations. The training centres is at Ikeja, Kaduna, Maiduguri and Oji River. The venue of the Nigerian Police training also doubles as Nigeria Immigration services training centres in Nigeria. Cadet assistants superintendent and cadet sub-inspectors are trained at the Nigerian Police College located at Ikeja in Lagos.

All about the Nigerian Police Academy

The Nigeria Police Academy was formally established in March 1989 by the former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida. The purpose of the academy is to train police staff on effective policing and to provide the necessary educational training for staff and officers of the force. It is spare headed by an AIG who is the commandant of the Nigerian Police Academy and assisted by a provost, who is responsible for organizing and managing academic programs at the institution.

The Academy is located at Kano State and Federal character is used as quota system to grant admission to prospective candidates at the Nigerian Police Academy. The academy offers five-year academic and professional degree program for newly admitted cadets and also an eighteen-month intensive training course for college graduates that aspire to become police officers.

Nigerian Police Recruitment Portal

The Nigeria police force do invite willing members of the public to apply for recruitment into the Force. You must be duly qualified before you can be selected. Due to the Nigerian factor of knowing people, merit seems to be fading as a criterion in the Nigeria police force. Application and submission of completed form and other documents are done online just like the Nigerian Navy, Army and Airforce. The online application is done via the Nigerian Police Recruitment Portal at www.npf.gov.ng.

This has forced the Federal Government to put in place, certain restrictions on individuals that can apply for Nigerian police force job openings. You must be now have to be a graduate, must have passion for the Police job, must be medically fit. This are just some requirements needed to enter the Nigerian Police Force.

Nigerian Police Requirements to Join the Force

There are a list of certain requirements that one must meet if you want to join the Nigerian Police especially from individuals applying for job openings in the Nigeria police force. These requirements for recruitment into the Nigerian Police Force includes:

• You must be a Nigerian by birth.
• You must be a graduate (New). This is to ensure professionalism in the force wit a minimum of O’Level for Police constables.
• Also, the person must be physically and mentally sound. He/she must be certified fit by a medical practitioner in government establishment or medical doctor attached to the Nigeria Police Force.
• The individual must not be convicted with any criminal record.
• The height for male who wants to join the Nigeria Police Force should be a minimum of 1.67 Metres in height while for female is 1.63 Metres.
• You must be passionate about the Nigerian Police job, having knowledge about its operations
• In addition, then individual must have chest width minimum of 34 inches
• During the recruitment process, the applicant is expected to provide two verifiable references. The references must be a military officer not below Lieutenant Colonel or Police Officer not below the rank of CSP, career civil servant not below Grade Level 12, Heads of Educational Institutions the recruit attended , Local government Chairman, Magistrate and Traditional rulers.
• The applicant is expected to also provide a valid National Drivers License or a valid National Identity Card.

What is the age limit for recruitment into the Nigerian Police Force?

Most Nigerians had always wanted to know the age limit for recruitment into the police. The Nigeria police placed an age for those vying for various posts. For example, for the post of Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police, the age of the applicant should not be younger than 23 years of age or older than 28 years of age.

Those with a minimum of Higher National or Bachelors Degree can apply while it is compulsory to also have your N.Y.S.C Certificate if you must apply. For students with OND or NCE, the Nigeria Police Force implies that you apply for the post of Cadet Inspector of Police with a National Certificate of Education (NCE ), an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or an Advance Level (A Level) certificate.