Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has unveiled healthcare reforms within the Nigeria Police Force, which brought together all heads of Police Medical Facilities to chart a new course for officers’ wellbeing.
At the inaugural national conference in Abuja on Thursday, he also launched a nationwide preventive health campaign aimed at improving early detection of diseases and strengthening the overall readiness of police personnel.
The conference, themed “Transforming Policing in Nigeria: The Evolving Role of the Directorate of Force Medical Services,” brought together medical commanders, senior officers, development partners, and key stakeholders to assess progress and outline new strategies for enhancing police healthcare delivery.
Egbetokun reaffirmed that personnel welfare, particularly health and wellbeing, remains a core pillar of his policing agenda.
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He noted that the upgrade of the Nigeria Police Medical Services to a full-fledged Directorate in August 2025 was a landmark reform designed to boost medical capacity, standardise health services across formations, and reinforce the overall operational readiness of the Force.
The IGP described the Police Medical system as one of the most expansive and functional law enforcement healthcare networks on the continent, with 164 hospitals, clinics, and medical posts spread across Nigeria.
These facilities, he said, serve police officers, their families, and in many cases, surrounding communities, positioning the Force as a key provider of public health support in underserved areas.
Nkechi Eze, Force Medical Director, praised the IGP for what she called unprecedented support for medical reforms within the Force.
She outlined the Directorate’s broadened responsibilities, which now include preventive medicine, trauma and emergency response, advanced medical training, and enhanced participation in national health initiatives.
She expressed optimism that ongoing reforms and continued collaboration with development partners would accelerate the modernisation of police healthcare nationwide.
One of the major highlights of the event was the official launch of the “Know Your Numbers” Campaign, a preventive health initiative endorsed by the IGP.
The programme encourages personnel to regularly check key health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse rate, and hepatitis/HIV status, with the goal of reducing preventable health complications and improving longevity within the Force.
Egbetokun reaffirmed commitment to sustaining a resilient, responsive, and professionally competent Nigeria Police Force, one in which the health of officers is prioritised as a foundation of institutional strength.
