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The Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has said the Nigeria Police Force will take full advantage of funds available through the Police Mortgage and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to address the housing needs of its personnel, particularly officers in the lower ranks.
Disu disclosed this during an inspection of police barracks and housing projects across Lagos State, where he visited about 21 locations at various stages of redevelopment. The IGP said the Force was already engaging strategic partners to unlock mortgage financing and other funding opportunities for the construction of affordable and befitting homes for police personnel.
“We have a lot of money in the Police Mortgage, in the Federal Mortgage Bank, and we should take full advantage of it,” the IGP said.
According to him, priority would be given to the rank and file because junior officers constitute the bulk of personnel deployed daily for policing duties across the country. He explained that access to decent accommodation was not merely a welfare issue but also an important component of police effectiveness, noting that officers required a stable and conducive environment to rest and prepare for the demanding task of protecting lives and property.
Disu said the Force would work with private developers and other strategic partners to convert available financing opportunities into actual housing projects, rather than allow resources earmarked for police accommodation to remain underutilised.
The IGP expressed concern over the condition of several police barracks visited during the inspection, saying many of the structures had become severely dilapidated after decades of use and would have to be demolished to pave the way for modern housing developments. The inspection covered parts of Ikeja and Lagos Island, with Disu saying the condition and pace of some of the projects required urgent attention.
He said the visit was aimed at enabling him to personally assess the projects, engage development partners and identify the challenges delaying their completion.
The IGP acknowledged the support of the Lagos State Government, describing the partnership as critical to the ongoing efforts to improve police accommodation in the state.
He also disclosed plans to redevelop the Falomo Police Hospital, including the upgrading of its facilities and equipment as part of a broader strategy to improve welfare infrastructure for police personnel.
According to him, some abandoned portions of former barracks had been occupied by unauthorised persons following the demolition of old structures and delays in commencing redevelopment.
He said the Force would immediately take steps to reclaim its properties and prevent further encroachment, invoking the Broken Windows Theory to explain how neglected public facilities could gradually become vulnerable to further deterioration and illegal occupation.
On the relocation of officers and their families during the reconstruction exercise, Disu said the Force would conduct a comprehensive headcount and provide appropriate relocation allowances to affected occupants.
He explained that the approach would also include phased construction in large barracks, allowing new buildings to be developed in available spaces while existing occupants remained nearby and subsequently moved into the completed units.
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According to him, the strategy would help build confidence among personnel and reassure them that the barracks were being redeveloped for their benefit rather than sold or converted to other uses.
The IGP said he was dissatisfied with the pace of some of the projects but expressed optimism that portions of the Ikeja development could become habitable by December or January, subject to the completion schedule agreed with the developers.
He promised to maintain regular visits to Lagos to monitor progress and ensure that contractors and development partners remained focused on delivering the projects.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, said the state’s partnership with the police was designed to combine government support with private-sector equity to deliver modern accommodation for police personnel.
Benson-Awoyinka, who said the initiative began when she served as Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, explained that the state decided to extend its housing intervention to police officers because of their critical role in maintaining security.
She said the project had experienced delays arising from headcounts, relocation, demolition, illegal shops and other issues associated with securing vacant possession.
However, she disclosed that full possession had now been secured at Ijeh Barracks.
The commissioner said the Lagos State Government was working with private developers to accelerate the redevelopment, adding that the swampy nature of some project sites had also necessitated land reclamation and careful engineering to prevent structural failures.
She expressed optimism that about 1,000 housing units could be ready for police officers at Ijeh Barracks by February next year.
Benson-Awoyinka stressed that the government would continue to work closely with the police and private developers to deliver the project.
She said the redevelopment programme, which ordinarily could take between 24 and 36 months, required proper planning and adherence to construction standards to ensure that officers received safe, durable and decent homes.
The commissioner said the housing initiative represented a broader effort to place police welfare at the centre of security administration, with access to mortgage finance, private investment and government partnerships expected to provide a sustainable pathway for expanding police accommodation beyond the current projects in Lagos.
