Tinubu Approves 959 National Honours, Moves to Strengthen Police Funding

President Bola Tinubu has approved the conferment of 959 national honours and initiated new reforms to improve the funding structure of the Nigeria Police Force.

The approval was made on Thursday during meetings of the National Council of State and the Police Council held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to information released after the meetings, the President accepted the report of the National Honours Award Committee for 2024 and 2025, alongside other special awards that had been presented earlier in the year.

The committee, led by Justice Sidi Bage, reviewed more than 5,000 applications before recommending 824 individuals for the 2024/2025 National Honours and an additional 135 for special presidential awards, bringing the total number of honourees to 959.

Those recognised include notable Nigerians and foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to the country in various fields. Among them are Bill Gates, who was honoured for his role in public health, journalist Uncle Sam Pemu for his impact in media, and the Super Falcons and D’Tigress for their achievements in sports.

Posthumous honours were also given to the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four for their efforts in environmental activism, while INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu was acknowledged for his service to Nigeria’s democracy.

The updated list of awardees is expected to be released soon.Following the National Honours meeting, President Tinubu also chaired the Nigeria Police Council, where key reforms to the Police Trust Fund were approved.

Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, announced that the council agreed to repeal and re-enact the 2019 Police Trust Fund Act, removing the six-year time limit to establish it as a permanent agency.

The council also approved an increase in the Police Trust Fund’s allocation from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the Federation Account to ensure better planning and sustainable reforms.

Geidam added that the Attorney-General of the Federation had been directed to include the council’s resolutions in a new executive bill to be presented to the National Assembly.

The Police Trust Fund, established in 2019, was created to close funding gaps in policing through improved training, welfare, technology, and logistics support.

However, its limited tenure and funding have slowed progress, prompting the need for these reforms.