By Vicky Attah, Correspondent
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has said the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to improving the welfare of its personnel must also extend to their families, stressing that the wellbeing of police officers cannot be separated from the economic security of their households.
Disu stated this at the launch of the maiden Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Programme for Spouses of Junior Police Officers held at the M.D. Abubakar Police Barracks, Dei-Dei, Abuja, according to a press statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu.
The Inspector-General described the initiative as an investment in the stability and wellbeing of police families, noting that officer welfare cannot be separated from that of their households.
He commended the wives of junior police officers for their steadfast support, saying their unwavering commitment continues to sustain the morale and operational effectiveness of the Force despite the demands of policing.
Disu urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the vocational training and empowerment packages, advising them to regard the resources as a foundation for financial independence rather than temporary relief.
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF), Mohammed Sheidu, said the programme reflects the Fund’s recognition that the economic empowerment of police families is as vital as its investments in training and infrastructure.
He said the vocational skills training and start-up packs were designed to help beneficiaries establish sustainable businesses, improve household livelihoods and strengthen their families’ economic wellbeing.
Sheidu added that the initiative was inspired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, urging beneficiaries to build businesses that would uplift their families and communities.
Also speaking, the National President of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Chief Mrs. Olufunmilola Mutiat Disu, described the programme as a strategic investment in the morale and professionalism of the Nigeria Police Force rather than an act of charity.
She said national security begins at home and pledged that POWA would continue its partnership with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund to sustain the programme. She also called on other government agencies and corporate organisations to emulate the initiative by investing in the welfare and economic empowerment of police families.
The maiden skills acquisition programme was organised by the Nigeria Police Trust Fund in collaboration with the Police Officers’ Wives Association under the theme, “Empowering Families, Strengthening Communities: Advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda Through Skills Acquisition and Economic Empowerment.”
The event was hosted by the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, and attended by the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, Mohammed Sheidu; the National President of POWA, Chief Mrs. Olufunmilola Mutiat Disu; and beneficiary spouses of junior police officers drawn from across the Force.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the welfare of its personnel and their families, saying it would continue to partner with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, POWA and other stakeholders to build stronger police families and a more effective Force nationwide.
