General
BPRS Suggests Effective Bail System to Nigeria Police
By Dipo Olowookere
Ways to effectively manage internal complaints mechanism and the process for obtaining bail at police stations across the country have been recommended to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris.
The suggestions were contained in a report presented by the Acting Director General of Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPRS), Mr D.I Arabi, recently.
Mr Arabi hinted that the exercise was conducted between October 2017 to February 2018 across the six geo-political zones and FCT, selecting one state each from the zones in line with the approval of the police chief given earlier in September 2017, for BPSR request to conduct two research studies on the Nigeria Police Force.
The studies were: Institutional Assessment of the Police internal complaints mechanism; and mapping the process of obtaining bail at the Nigeria police stations.
The assessments were carried out in six States Police Command Formations selected from the Zones, they include: Akwa-Ibom, Borno, Edo, Enugu, Kano and Lagos; and the FCT.
According to the BPSR chief, the main objective of the study was to identity the challenges that have hindered the effectiveness of the police internal complaints mechanism; to identify the specific barriers and bottle necks in the bail process that hampers the effectiveness and efficiency of the process and to provide evidence based recommendations for reforms to improve efficiency in the internal complaints mechanism and the bail process.
For an effective assessment, BPSR adopted some approaches which include meetings and interviews with senior police officers at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, the State Commissioners of Police and other police personnel that were available at the selected States Police Commands and Formations in those zones.
Other approaches were the group discussions with diverse stakeholders, enabling them to collate diverse perspectives on the issues at stake. The studies identified gaps and also designed scenarios for improvements in structure, manpower deployment and the bail process mapping.
The highlight of the research studies was the presentation of the three key findings and the recommendations in each of the report. The first report explains clearly that there was no strategic plan or a strategic planning process that guides the activities of the force and the operations of the internal complaints mechanism towards attaining its mandate, consequently, work plans are either non-existent or are not linked to long term operational and strategic goals.
Among other findings are the PCB complaints desks that are poorly manned in terms of staffing and skills, especially in Kano where there was a great challenge on skills sets. There is also lack of requisite skills among majority of police officers manning public complaints desks at all levels.
Mr Arabi said that training the officers will equip them with intelligence gathering, data collection and analysis and human rights observances in order to display high sense of human relations and mediations.
Speaking on the bail process, Mr Arabi emphasized the need for uniform guidelines and standard operating procedure which according to him will minimize if not remove all forms of hindrances that had hitherto exposed the bail process to abuses.
On the recommendations; he emphasized that the NPF should standardize the operating procedure which will remove all forms of hindrances that had exposed the bail process to abuses.
The acting DG also advocated that the NPF should have standardized practices regarding arrest, detention and bail of suspects in the 36 states in the country and the FCT.
This would help design a functional referral system for civil cases between police and conflicts resolution agents such as courts and traditional rulers. He further reiterated the need for funding and resourcing mechanism for policing and police welfare. This will enable the Force to develop and implement strategies for creating awareness about the internal complaints mechanism.
According to the DG, if the recommendations are faithfully implemented, the NPF will become more effective and the IGP would have succeeded in putting in place an appropriate system for the Force which would further strengthen basic management capacity within the Nigeria Police Force.
Mr Arabi thanked Mr Idris for the opportunity afforded BPSR on this remarkable exercise and equally expressed profound gratitude to the Commissioners of Police in Akwa-Ibom, Borno, Edo, Enugu, Kano and Lagos for their diligence and support.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) recently hosted a high-level delegation from Newryton International Industrial Development Company Limited, a leading Chinese investment and industrial development consortium, to advance discussions on deepening bilateral trade, industrial cooperation, and development financing between both countries.
The Newryton delegation, led by Mr David Chen, Assistant Secretary-General of the China Hainan Investment Council, had earlier engaged with the Nigerian Association of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). They were accompanied to the NCSP by Mr Joe Onyuike, Vice-Chairman of NACCIMA’s Agriculture and Livestock Trade Group, who conveyed NACCIMA’s support for the delegation’s engagements.
Discussions centered on the establishment of a Nigeria–China Trade and Investment Platform, including a proposed Promotion Centre in China to support Nigerian products, investors, and state governments.
The consortium also presented opportunities within Hainan Province’s Free Trade Port (FTP), which offers preferential policies that Nigerian businesses can leverage to expand exports and attract new investments.
In his address on behalf of Newryton, Mr Pong outlined plans to collaborate with NCSP in accessing FOCAC-supported financing for strategic investments in agriculture, energy, mining, solid minerals processing, and related sectors. The delegation identified aquaculture as a key area of interest and referenced the forthcoming Global Aquaculture Conference in Hainan Province, encouraging Nigerian stakeholders to participate.
They also expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation in vocational training and employment under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Welcoming the delegation on behalf of the Director-General, Martins Olajide, NCSP’s Head of Internal Operations, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.
He highlighted NCSP’s strong interest in the proposed Nigeria–China Trade and Investment Platform and the development of the Nigerian Oil Palm Industrial Park as a flagship demonstration project.
Also speaking at the meeting, Ms Judy Melifonwu, NCSP’s Head of International Relations, underscored the opportunities presented by China’s zero-tariff policy and the forthcoming NAQS–GACC protocol on the export of Nigerian aquaculture products. She noted that these frameworks would significantly enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in emerging global markets.
Both parties expressed commitment to advancing discussions toward a structured cooperation framework covering all priority areas.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom–Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), established in 2019 as part of a 16-year legacy of UK-funded infrastructure support to Nigeria, convened over 100 senior stakeholders on Tuesday, December 2, to review its progress and formally close out its current phase of operations.
The event brought together representatives from federal and state governments, development partners, development finance institutions, and the private sector to reflect on UKNIAF’s work across the power, infrastructure finance, and roads sectors. Discussions focused on institutional reforms, capacity development, and the sustainability of tools and processes introduced over the past six years.
Since inception, UKNIAF has delivered targeted technical assistance designed to embed evidence-based reforms, data-driven decision-making, and improved institutional performance. Its interventions have mobilised significant financing, strengthened regulatory and planning systems, and enhanced investor readiness across multiple infrastructure markets.
In the power sector, participants highlighted landmark achievements including the development of Nigeria’s first Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a least-cost and low-carbon pathway for expanding electricity supply. UKNIAF also supported the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in building advanced real-time data capabilities for tariff monitoring, grid management, and outage tracking. The programme enabled pioneering states to establish their own electricity markets following constitutional reforms.
In infrastructure finance, UKNIAF was recognised for strengthening project preparation systems and enabling access to capital. Notable accomplishments include supporting the mobilisation of $75 million from the African Development Bank to the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme in two states, and accelerating mini-grid and solar deployment through improved technical standards at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
UKNIAF also designed a national project preparation facility, for which N21 billion was allocated in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets to build a pipeline of bankable projects.
Speaking on this, Mr Frank Edozie, UKNIAF Team Lead, described the programme’s close-out as a “handover for sustained delivery,” emphasising that strengthened institutions now hold tools that make Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape more transparent, climate-smart, and investor-ready.
On his part, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, commended the programme, noting that its technical assistance and advisory services had helped lay the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive electricity supply industry.
Mrs Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Corporation at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, praised the partnership, highlighting achievements ranging from state-level electricity market reforms to unlocking major financing and designing Nigeria’s Climate Change Fund.
Enugu State Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, underscored the lasting influence of the programme, stating that UKNIAF’s impact continues through the expertise and leadership transferred to national and sub-national institutions.
The close-out event reaffirmed stakeholders’ commitment to sustaining tools, reforms, and knowledge products developed under UKNIAF, while strengthening collaboration among public, private, and development actors in the infrastructure ecosystem.
Participants included federal and state agencies such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Federal Ministry of Power, Ministry of Finance, NERC, REA, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria, alongside development partners including the African Development Bank, World Bank, and IFC, as well as private sector and civil society stakeholders.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, has been slashed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The Lagos-based oil facility brought down the ex-depot price of the petroleum product by 15.58 per cent or N129 per litre to N828 per litre.
Though the company had yet to release an official statement on this development, real-time market data on Petroleumprice.ng on Friday showed the new price.
Punch reports that data from the platform also showed fresh reductions across several private depots following the refinery’s latest review.
Sigmund Depot cut its ex-depot price by N4 to N824 per litre, Bulk Strategic dropped its price by N3, and TechnoOil slashed its by N15.
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