President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the conferment of 959 national honours and endorsed far-reaching reforms to strengthen the funding framework of the Nigeria Police Force.
Naijaonpoint understands that the President made the approvals while presiding over marathon meetings of the National Council of State and the Nigeria Police Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing State House correspondents after the sessions, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Emanso Umobong, said Tinubu endorsed the report of the National Honours Award Committee covering 2024 and 2025, alongside special awards already bestowed since January 2025.
“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,” Umobong said.
She explained that the committee, chaired by Justice Sidi Bage, screened over 5,000 applications before recommending 824 recipients for national honours and 135 special awardees, bringing the total to 959 honourees.
According to Umobong, Tinubu had in the past year honoured individuals and groups such as Bill Gates for contributions to public health, Uncle Sam Pemu for journalism, and the Super Falcons and D’Tigress for sporting excellence.
Others include the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four, recognised posthumously for environmental activism, and outgoing INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, celebrated for his decade of service to Nigeria’s democratic process.
She confirmed that the updated list of awardees would soon be published.
Police Trust Fund Reforms Approved
At the Police Council meeting, members approved significant reforms to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF).
Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, giving his first official briefing since assuming office in August 2023, said the Council resolved to repeal and re-enact the 2019 Police Trust Fund Establishment Act, removing the six-year sunset clause that limited its lifespan.
“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.
The Council also approved an upward review of the Police Trust Fund’s allocation from 0.5% to 1% of the Federation Account.
Geidam added that the Attorney-General of the Federation had been directed to incorporate all resolutions into a proposed Executive Bill for submission to the National Assembly.
The minister added, “All these prayers have been approved without any omission. 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 Police Trust Fund was designed to bridge funding gaps in policing through training, welfare, technology, and logistics, but has been hampered by limited tenure and budgetary constraints.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]