Abuja: The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr. Olukayode Egbetokun, has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to embrace foresight and creativity in the face of current crime complexities. Egbetokun made the call on Monday in Abuja, at the opening of a capacity-building workshop organized for the top leadership of the police in collaboration with the Society for Peace Studies and Practice. He noted that the theme for the workshop, 'Managing Fast-Paced Security Challenges in a Protracted Conflict Environment,' directly addresses the paradox of current realities, where conflicts stretch across years, changing form and intensity daily.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Egbetokun emphasized that adversaries are persistent and adaptive, with criminal syndicates exploiting technology to expand their reach. Terrorist networks continue to rebrand and reorganize to avoid defeat, while local conflicts, once contained, now spill across borders, amplified by social media and transnational alliances. He stressed that this complexity requires more from the police than courage alone-it demands foresight, creativity, and agility to lead in an environment of constant flux.
Egbetokun highlighted the need for police leadership to combine patience with speed, endurance with imagination, and strategy with unshakable resolve. He stated that the theme of the workshop was carefully chosen to prepare police leaders to anticipate, adapt, and act decisively. The one-day workshop was thoughtfully designed to enrich leadership journeys and cover critical topics, including Conflict Analysis and Effective Response Strategies in Policing Environment and Conflict-Sensitive Decision-Making.
The I-G listed additional topics to be covered, such as strengthening capacity for Early Warning (EW) and Early Response (ER) and Linking Conflict-Early Warning to Policy Development. He emphasized that these topics are practical leadership tools designed to equip participants to command with clarity, manage crises with precision, and inspire confidence in the personnel under their charge. The workshop aims at collective transformation, ensuring that the Nigeria Police Force grows into an institution agile in planning, bold in execution, and united in vision.
Egbetokun concluded by stating that the success of the police force will not be measured by the brilliance of one commander or the courage of a few units, but by the strength of collective capacity to anticipate threats, respond as one body, and deliver security that Nigerians can see and feel every day.
In his remarks, Mr. Nathaniel Awuaila, the President of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice, expressed that the workshop was organized to enhance strategic leadership within the Nigeria Police Force. He said the initiative aims to reposition the force as a proactive, intelligence-driven institution capable of fostering peace, justice, and national cohesion.