I-G urges foresight, creativity among police leadership

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olukayode Egbetokun, has called on leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to embrace foresight and creativity in the face of current crime complexities.

Egbetokun made the call on Monday in Abuja, at the opening capacity building workshop organised for top leadership of the police in collaboration with the Society for Peace Studies and Practice.

He said the theme for the workshop is, “Managing Fast-Paced Security Challenges in a Protracted Conflict Environment” was apt and had spoken directly to the paradox of current realities, where conflicts stretch across years, changing form and intensity daily.

According to him, we face adversaries who are not only persistent, but adaptive.

“Criminal syndicates exploit technology to expand their reach. Terrorist networks rebrand and reorganise to avoid defeat, while local conflicts, once contained, now spill across borders, amplified by social media and transnational alliances.

“This complexity demands more from us than courage alone. It demands foresight, creativity, and the agility to lead in an environment of constant flux.”

He said the police leadership under him must combine patience with speed, endurance with imagination, and strategy with unshakable resolve.

He said that the theme of the workshop was carefully chosen to prepare police leaders to anticipate, adapt, and act decisively.

“To this end, this one-day workshop has been thoughtfully designed to enrich your leadership journey and cover critical topics.

He listed the topics to include, conflict Analysis and Effective Response Strategies in Policing Environment and Conflict-Sensitive Decision-Making.

“Other topics to be covered are strengthening capacity for Early Warning (EW) and Early Response (ER) and Linking Conflict-Early Warning to Policy Development,” he said.

The I-G said the topics were not abstract concepts, but practical leadership tools to equip participants to command with clarity, manage crises with precision, and inspire confidence in the men and women under your charge.

He said the workshop was designed, not only for individual learning, but collective transformation, adding that the Nigeria Police Force must grow into an institution, agile in planning, bold in execution, and united in vision.

“Our success will not be measured by the brilliance of one commander or the courage of a few units.

“It will be measured by the strength of our collective capacity to anticipate threats, respond as one body, and to deliver security that Nigerians can see and feel everyday,” he said.

In his remark, Mr Nathaniel Awuaila, the President of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice said the workshop was organised to enhance strategic leadership in the Nigeria Police Force.

He said the idea was to reposition the force as a proactive, intelligence-driven institution capable of fostering peace, justice, and national cohesion.