A member of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Taiwo Lakanu, has attributed the low turnout of applicants from the South-West for police recruitment to socioeconomic factors in the zone.
Lakanu who is the representative of the South-West in the management team of the police service commission and chairman committee on all police matters, added that youths also judge the occupation by those they see on the road.
Recall that in order to strengthen national security, President Bola Tinubu approved the recruitment of 50,000 new officers. The online recruiting portal opened on December 15, 2025, and was scheduled to close on January 25, 2026.
However, due to “significant disparities” in applications between states, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Police Service Commission decided to extend the deadline by two weeks, until February 8, 2026.
According to the Head of Protocol and Public Affairs of the PSC, Mr Torty Kalu, key southern states like Lagos, Ogun, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, and Anambra showed noticeably low participation, while northern and North-Central states like Adamawa, Benue and Kaduna reportedly recorded significant numbers of applicants.
Speaking on Wednesday, after an assessment of the ongoing recruitment exercise held at the state police command headquarters, Eleweran Abeokuta, Lakanu urged youths to embrace careers within the Police Force.
He asserted that the institution is undergoing significant reforms under the Tinubu-led administration, maintaining that now is the best time to be in the force.
The retired Deputy Inspector General of Police emphasised that there is nothing wrong with becoming a police officer and urged people to observe the larger efforts being made to strengthen the force rather than just the few policemen on the road.
He said, “Yes, it’s true the turnout from South-West is low and that’s because of the socioeconomic dynamics in the zone. They find it repugnant, they find it repulsive. But there’s nothing wrong in being a police officer. They judge police officers by those they see on the road. It’s an interesting job.
“I will continue to hammer this, there are a lot of reforms coming. This is the best time to join the Force.
“I’m impressed with what is on ground here. It shows that the Ogun State people are very much interested. And like I would advise them, there are a lot of reforms going on in the Force. This is the best time to be in the Force. I will ensure that those that are qualified are given admission.”
Speaking on the current insecurity in the country, Lakanu assured that all hands are on deck and efforts are being made to made to address the issues.
“I’m quite sure Disu will improve on what has been done so far. The President is not sleeping, the Federal Government is not sleeping. And because of the dynamics, like I say, because of the areas that these people are operating, there are things we know that you don’t know. But we are winning the war.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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