President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the conferment of 959 national honours and endorsed sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) to ensure sustainable policing and institutional accountability.
The approvals followed back-to-back meetings of the National Council of State and the Nigeria Police Council, both held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the meetings, Dr. Emanso Umobong, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, said the President endorsed the 2024/2025 National Honours Award Committee report, along with special presidential awards conferred earlier in 2025.
According to her, the National Honours Award Committee, chaired by Justice Sidi Bage, screened over 5,000 applications before selecting 824 nominees for the 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awardees, bringing the total to 959 honourees.
“The conferment of national honours is a yearly tradition through which the President recognises Nigerians and non-Nigerians who have made outstanding contributions to national growth and humanity,” Umobong said.
She added that President Tinubu, in line with his inclusive recognition policy, had honoured several distinguished individuals and groups over the past year. Among them are Bill Gates for contributions to public health, veteran journalist Uncle Sam Pemu, sports teams Super Falcons and D’Tigress, and Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing INEC Chairman, for service to Nigeria’s democracy.
Posthumous awards were also given to the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four for their environmental activism and sacrifice. The full list of honourees, Umobong said, will be published soon.
Following the honours session, the Nigeria Police Council convened to deliberate on key reforms for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, which was established in 2019 to address funding gaps in the Force.
In his first media briefing since assuming office in August 2023, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, revealed that the Council approved the repeal and re-enactment of the Police Trust Fund Establishment Act, removing its six-year limit and transforming it into a permanent agency.
“The current Act limits the lifespan of the Fund and impedes long-term planning. The Council has approved its re-enactment to ensure sustainability,” Geidam said.
The Council also approved an increase in the Fund’s allocation from 0.5% to 1% of the Federation Account, along with a directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation to draft an executive bill incorporating all approved reforms for submission to the National Assembly.
The Minister noted that the reforms would ensure improved welfare, training, logistics, and technological advancement for the Nigeria Police Force.
“All the recommendations were approved without omission. The Council’s decision signals a new era of accountability and modernization in the Nigerian policing system,” Geidam concluded.
The Nigeria Police Trust Fund, created to support police operations and infrastructure, has faced criticism over its limited duration and bureaucratic bottlenecks. The new reforms are expected to usher in long-term funding stability and enhanced operational capacity.
