The Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced that it is concluding preparations for the recruitment of cadets and constables into the Nigeria Police Force for the 2025 exercise.
As part of its readiness efforts, the Commission on Wednesday visited the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja to seek collaboration for a credible and transparent recruitment process.
Chairman of the PSC, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Hashimu Argungu, who led the Commission’s management team, emphasized the critical role of data in recruitment. He called on the NDPC to support the PSC in verifying applicants’ identities to ensure that only qualified and credible Nigerians are recruited into the Force.
“Data rules the world,” DIG Argungu stated during the meeting. “With accurate and protected data, we can plan effectively and carry out thorough background checks on applicants who wish to join the Nigeria Police Force.”
The PSC Chairman revealed that the recruitment of cadets and the 30,000 constables annually approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would soon commence. However, he expressed concern over the Commission’s continued inability to access the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database — a limitation he described as a significant hindrance to effective screening and verification.
Argungu appealed to the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, to intervene and help facilitate access to identity data managed by NIMC, which he said is vital for the Commission to fulfill its constitutional mandate.
In response, Dr. Olatunji assured the PSC of his Commission’s readiness to support the recruitment exercise. He pledged to work towards granting the PSC necessary data access while also offering training to its staff on data protection principles.
“We are committed to ensuring the PSC carries out a data-compliant and credible recruitment process,” Dr. Olatunji said. “We will also ensure that your staff are trained to handle data responsibly in line with global standards.”
The meeting concluded with both Commissions agreeing to establish a joint committee that will immediately begin work on integrating data protection practices into the police recruitment process, following international best practices.
LV