President Bola Tinubu has approved the conferment of 959 national honours and endorsed key reforms aimed at strengthening the funding framework of the Nigeria Police Force.
This was contained in a statement released after marathon meetings of the National Council of State and the Police Council held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja.
The release was made available to newsmen by the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr. Emanso Umobong.
Umobong explained that the President approved the report of the National Honours Award Committee for 2024 and 2025, as well as special awards that had been conferred by the President between January 2025 and now.
According to her, “The award of titles of honour and decorations of dignitaries is a yearly event at which the President honours deserving nationals and non-nationals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the nation and humanity.”
She disclosed that the current honours committee, which was reconstituted in August 2021 and chaired by Justice Sidi Bage, screened over 5,000 applications before recommending 824 recipients for the 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awardees, bringing the total to 959 honourees.
Umobong further revealed that President Tinubu, in his spirit of inclusive national recognition, had already honoured several distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in the past year. Among them are Bill Gates for contributions to public health, Uncle Sam Pemu for journalism, and the Super Falcons and D’Tigress for excellence in sports.
Others include the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four, who were honoured posthumously for environmental activism, as well as Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for his service to Nigeria’s democratic process.
“The total of 959 awardees reflects a commitment to national recognition of excellence and patriotism,” she added, noting that the updated list of honourees would soon be published.
Following the Council of State session, President Tinubu presided over a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council, where members approved major reforms to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
In his first briefing to journalists since assuming office in August 2023, the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, said the Council ratified proposals to repeal and re-enact the 2019 Police Trust Fund Establishment Act to remove its six-year limit and transform it into a permanent agency.
“The sunset clause of six years in the current Act limits the lifespan of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund and impedes long-term planning, thereby constraining sustainable police reform,” Geidam said.
He continued, “We also prayed that the Council approve the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Police Transparency Establishment Act 2025 in order to remove the sunset clause and transition it into an agency.”
Geidam added that the Council further approved an upward review of the Police Trust Fund’s allocation from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the Federation Account.
He said the Council also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to incorporate all resolutions into an executive bill for submission to the National Assembly.
“All these prayers have been approved without any omission,” Geidam confirmed, adding, “The Council also directed that the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice input all the approvals of the Council in the proposed Executive Bill.”
Established in 2019, the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) was created to bridge funding gaps in policing by supporting training, welfare, technology acquisition, and logistics. However, its limited tenure and budget constraints have long hindered sustainable reforms.
The meeting, according to Umobong, signified Tinubu’s continued effort to strengthen national institutions while recognising Nigerians and friends of the country who have contributed to its growth and image globally.
