Nigerian Police Force: The $40 Salaried Police Officers
The Nigerian Police Force, on average, is the least-paid police force in the world. This is a concerning fact, especially when compared to countries like Ivory Coast, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt, all of which have significantly larger police budgets. The potential implications of such budget discrepancies, including compromised public safety and law enforcement effectiveness, must be urgently addressed.
South Africa has half of Nigeria’s police numbers and almost four times less than Nigeria’s population. However, its police budget is over ten times Nigeria’s. This makes no sense whatsoever. On average, the Ivory Coast has the highest police budget in Africa, with 25,000 police forces and a budget of $1.7 billion. Morocco followed it before South Africa. This underpayment is evident in the services provided by the Nigerian police. No institution that has to operate under such an underfunded regime can properly function. A recent United Nations survey revealed that 83 million public sector bribes occurred in Nigeria in 2023 alone, with many of these going to the Nigerian Police Force. Are you still surprised?
Nigerian Police cadet base salary is less than $25 per monthly
Nigerians who join the police force do so in order to serve their country and have a career. Most come from families with a police officer background. Despite the meagre remuneration, they make sacrifices to serve their country to the best of their abilities. However, do they receive reciprocation from their country for their sacrifices? The cost of one of the numerous presidential jets, which amounts to $100 million, represents approximately 14% of the total police budget for a given year. How can this ever be justified? Any country’s leadership should ensure that their remuneration is commensurate with that of its public servants. According to annual remuneration, a few hundred Nigerian lawmakers earn more on average than the country’s total public servants.
Côte d’Ivoire, formerly Ivory Coast, is a smaller country than Nigeria. Both are in the same region and are members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Its police annual budget, even without averaging, almost triples Nigeria’s. When averaged, given that it is over seven times smaller than Nigeria and has a police force that is twelve times smaller, the budget disproportionality is too extreme in Côte d’Ivoire’s favour. Of all the countries in the world, Nigeria’s police officers are the least paid. It is no surprise that insecurity and the crime rate in Nigeria are amongst the worst in the world. Security is not prioritised. It is the backbone of every successful economy. Who would want to invest in an insecure country? The collapse in FDI is evidence that the Nigerian economy will not thrive until it prioritises the men and women of the Nigerian Police Force, who sacrifice their lives despite their meagre salaries.
By Ikechukwu ORJI
