Nigeria Police Recruitment Screening Begins March 9 In Lagos
Applicants eyeing roles as general duty and specialist constables in the Nigeria Police Force now face a critical phase as the Lagos State Police Command gears up for a physical and credential screening starting March 9, 2026, aligning with similar efforts across the country to bolster law enforcement ranks.
The announcement came from SP Abimbola Adebisi, the command’s police public relations officer, in a statement issued on Thursday, detailing the collaborative effort with the Police Service Commission to run the exercise daily from 7:00 am at the Police College in Ikeja until April 18, 2026.
“The Lagos State Police Command wishes to inform the general public, particularly applicants who are indigenes of the State and have successfully completed the online registration for the 2025/2026 recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force as General Duty and Specialist Police Constables, that the Physical and Credential Screening Exercise will commence from Monday 9th March to Saturday 18th April, 2026,” the statement read.
It specified that the screening targets Lagos State indigenes who completed the online registration for the 2025/2026 recruitment.
Adebisi outlined the required documents, which must be neatly arranged in two white flat files: the invitation slip (with assigned table), credential screening form, original National Identity Number printout or card from the National Identity Management Commission, O’ Level (GCE/SSCE) certificate, birth certificate or declaration of age, LGA/state of origin certificate, trade test/certificate (for specialists only), duly completed and signed guarantors form with photocopies and passports of referees attached.
The statement reiterated: “Original and duplicate copies of credentials are to be neatly packaged in two separate white flat files, with recent passport photographs attached.”
Applicants must appear in clean white T-shirts and white shorts, according to the command’s directives.
“Any candidate who fails to present the above-listed items will not be considered for screening,” the statement warned, urging strict adherence to scheduled dates and guidelines.
It further assured that the process remains free of charge and will proceed on merit, adhering to professional and transparent standards.
The public was encouraged to report any demands for payment or gratification related to the exercise.
The Nigeria Police Force’s recruitment processes have roots stretching back to colonial times, evolving through periods of expansion, reform, and persistent challenges that reflect the nation’s broader socio-political history.
Established initially in 1820 as a 1,200-member armed paramilitary Hausa Constabulary to maintain order in northern territories, the force expanded with entities like the Niger Coast Constabulary in Calabar in 1894 and the Royal Niger Company Constabulary in 1888, headquartered at Lokoja. The Lagos Police followed in 1896, focusing on the southern protectorate. These fragmented units amalgamated in 1930 into a unified Nigeria Police Force under British colonial administration, primarily tasked with suppressing indigenous resistance and enforcing colonial laws rather than public safety.
Post-independence in 1960, the NPF inherited a strength of about 12,000 officers, or roughly one per 820 Nigerians. Recruitment faced immediate hurdles, including ethnic imbalances and political interference, which persisted through military regimes. By 1983, official figures pegged the force at nearly 152,000, though estimates varied between 20,000 and 80,000 due to inefficiencies in tracking. Attempts to expand, such as lowering the recruitment age to 17 and incorporating demobilized soldiers under President Olusegun Obasanjo in the late 1970s, largely failed amid corruption and poor planning.
The 1990s saw recruitment suspensions under military rule, leading to personnel shortages and unfilled specialized roles. A major push came in 2000 when Obasanjo initiated a drive to add 40,000 officers annually for five years, ballooning the force to nearly 400,000 by 2008—a 300 percent growth in under a decade. However, this rapid expansion exacerbated issues like inadequate training, low pay (as little as $40 monthly in the early 2000s), and indiscipline.
Reform efforts intensified with committees like the Tam David-West Committee in the 1990s, the Muhammad Danmadami Panel in 2006, and the MD Yusuf Committee in 2008, which estimated N560 billion annually for overhauls, rising to N1 trillion by later assessments. These recommended decentralization, better welfare, community policing, and stricter oversight, leading to initiatives like the Police Service Commission’s revival for recruitment and discipline. The 2020 Police Reform Bill, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, addressed 79 recommendations, including raising constable pay to $100 monthly and tackling the 10 percent recovery rate of stolen property.
Challenges remain entrenched: corruption taints recruitment with nepotism, ethnic bias, and patronage; training lacks focus on modern skills like strategic leadership and conflict management; and performance metrics are poorly defined, contributing to low morale and public distrust. Recent drives, such as the 2021-2022 constable recruitment amid calls for state police, have seen over 400,000 applications nationwide, but controversies over quotas and screening irregularities persist. The current 2025/2026 exercise, emphasizing transparency and merit, builds on these reforms, aiming to professionalize a force now estimated at over 370,000 officers, though exact figures fluctuate with ongoing audits.
As Lagos joins the national rollout, the process highlights Nigeria’s ongoing quest for a responsive, accountable police service in a country where security demands continue to outpace institutional capacity.