The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and media practitioners have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening public trust and promoting gender-responsive policing through effective implementation of the Police Act 2020 nationwide.
The pledge was made at a police-media dialogue and workshop on reporting police reform and accountability, organized by the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative (Partners West Africa Nigeria – PWAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mrs Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director of PWAN, said the initiative is part of the project titled “Enhancing Public Trust and Gender-Responsive Policing in Nigeria Through Effective Implementation of the Police Act 2020.”
Okenyodo explained that the project aims to strengthen police reform with a focus on institutional accountability, gender responsiveness, and improved public confidence in the NPF.
“By increasing awareness of the Police Act, the project seeks to reduce rights violations and promote a more citizen-responsive policing culture,” she said, adding that the platform provides a safe and inclusive space for participants to share experiences, raise concerns, and propose practical recommendations for enhanced collaboration between communities and the police.
Also speaking, Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Training and Development, Mr Frank Mba, reaffirmed the NPF’s commitment to building public trust and gender-responsive policing.
Mba said the force is making deliberate efforts to improve access to timely information and response, strengthening engagement between the police, the media, and the public.
On Gender-Based Violence (GBV), he emphasized the importance of continuous training and retraining of personnel to enhance investigation, prosecution, and ultimately reduce its recurrence.
Meanwhile, development communication expert Mr Odoh Diego-Okenyodo urged journalists to deepen their understanding of the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
“Such understanding will enable the media to report on police service delivery with focus on accountability, transparency, human rights protection, and fundamental freedoms,” he said. He encouraged media coverage on policy and legal reforms, institutional reform, human rights, police welfare, professionalization, and community trust and safety.
Similarly, BBC communication strategist and multimedia journalist Mr Chris Ewokor highlighted the media’s role in shaping public perception of the NPF. Speaking on “Ethics and Language that Builds Reform, Not Rage,” Ewokor urged journalists to adopt ethical language that promotes reform, highlight positive change within the force, and interrogate systemic issues beyond isolated incidents.
Participants expressed satisfaction with the workshop, saying it would enhance their reporting on policing and accountability.
Mr Collins Nnabuife, senior reporter with Nigerian Tribune, said the training reinforced the need for partnership between the police and media for effective policing. Kabiru Yusuf of Radio Niger said the workshop improved his understanding of police reforms and the media’s role in promoting accountability and transparency. Similarly, Hadiza Abdrahman of Radio Nigeria said the initiative enhanced her capacity to report on issues that build trust between citizens and the police while protecting fundamental rights.
