Senate Approves Bill to Double Police Trust Fund Allocation to 1%

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — The Senate has approved a bill that would raise the statutory contribution to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) from 0.5 % to 1 % of revenue received by the Federation Account. The move is intended to strengthen police funding, boost operational capacity, and improve the welfare of officers.

The legislation, titled Police Trust Fund Act (Repeal and Re‑enactment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1030), was read for the third time and passed after a report was presented by Senator Mallam‑Madori Ahmed, chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs (APC, Jigawa East).

In presenting the report, Ahmed urged the Senate to adopt the committee’s recommendations on the executive bill, which seeks to create a stronger legal and institutional framework for financing and supporting the Nigeria Police Force.

The bill is designed to provide sustainable funding for police training, the procurement of security equipment, the acquisition of operational assets, and the improvement of personnel welfare, with the goal of enhancing accountability, efficiency, and service delivery within the Force.

Lawmakers noted that the proposed legislation would strengthen Nigeria’s policing architecture by boosting intelligence‑gathering capabilities and improving the fight against crime and insecurity nationwide.

A key provision of the bill is the increase in the statutory allocation to the Police Trust Fund from the current 0.5 % to 1 % of total revenue accruing to the Federation Account. This proposal sparked extensive debate among senators over its fiscal implications.

Sponsored by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), the bill seeks to repeal the existing Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act of 2019 and replace it with a more comprehensive framework that can address longstanding challenges facing the Force.

During the debate that preceded the bill’s second reading, Bamidele described the proposal as a strategic national‑security intervention aimed at tackling chronic underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, obsolete equipment, and welfare concerns within the police system.

He argued that evolving security threats—including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and cybercrime—require a modern, sustainably funded police force capable of responding effectively to contemporary challenges.

According to Bamidele, the proposed funding structure extends beyond allocations from the Federation Account and incorporates development levies, government interventions, international grants, and private‑sector contributions.

He explained that the bill also introduces a strengthened governance structure, featuring a multi‑stakeholder board and a Project Implementation Committee, to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and efficient project execution.

Bamidele said the objectives of the legislation include establishing a more robust and accountable Police Trust Fund, ensuring predictable and sustainable funding streams, enhancing the Force’s operational and technological capabilities, improving personnel welfare and professionalism, and supporting modern policing strategies aligned with global best practices.

Under the proposed funding model, the Trust Fund will derive resources from:

One per cent of total revenue accruing to the Federation Account;
Development levies as provided under relevant tax laws;
Grants and interventions from federal, state, and local governments;
Donations and support from bilateral and multilateral development partners; and
Contributions and endowments from the private sector.

The Senate Leader said the diversified funding arrangement would reduce dependence on annual budgetary allocations and guarantee long‑term sustainability.

He added that funds generated under the scheme would be deployed to priority areas, including the acquisition of modern security equipment and operational tools, deployment of digital surveillance systems and forensic technology, construction and rehabilitation of police facilities, strengthening of training institutions, enhancement of intelligence gathering and operational efficiency, emergency response interventions during internal security crises, and improved welfare packages for police officers and personnel.

With its passage by the Senate, the bill now moves to the next stage of the legislative process for further consideration before it can be transmitted for presidential assent.