Bola Tinubu Proposes 108,000 Security Hires in 2027 Manifesto

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled his 2027 election campaign manifesto, titled From Reform to Prosperity, as he seeks re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. The All Progressives Presidential Campaign Council stated that the protection of lives and property will be a priority of the president's second-term agenda.

Central to this plan is a proposal to expand Nigeria's security workforce by more than 108,000 personnel. The recruitment targets include 50,000 police officers, 28,000 military personnel, and 30,150 Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel. The NSCDC expansion is intended to handle static security duties, which would allow the Nigerian Police Force to focus on frontline crime prevention. Other goals include achieving a police-to-citizen ratio of one officer per 400 people and implementing digital record systems and body cameras.

While the Nigerian Army has already received approval to expand from eight to 12 divisions—with proposed headquarters in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo, and Benin City—the manifesto further emphasizes a legal framework for state and community policing to address communal clashes and banditry.

These security pledges come as the National Peace Committee, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, reported 109 breaches of the National Peace Accord across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory over a 10-week period. These breaches have raised concerns regarding the security of the general elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.