Smart Force: IGP Digitalise Police Officers’ Database

The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has launched a database management Centre, for the digitalized storage and management of its personnel records.

The Centre was launched on Wednesday, 1 February, 2023, by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.

Named IGP-SmartForce Database Management Centre, it was launched for Personnel Records Digitalization and Biometric Capturing of all officers of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that all officers have their details captured and stored for record purposes.

The Centre was therefore, expected to ease administrative bottlenecks and create ease in tracking postings/transfers, as well as issue Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Cards for personnel identification.

The Database was aimed at integrating the Force into an ICT-Based system to simplify the management of its personnel records, and manage the entire workforce of the NPF, by uniquely identifying each personnel of the Force.

According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the system would aid the office of the Force Secretary in planning for the deployment of personnel in the Force, as well as on budgetary-related issues, tracing/identification of Police personnel, and retrieval of records as it relates to all personnel of the Force, both serving and retired.

SmartForce has its storage servers domiciled in the NPF National Command and Control Centre (NPF-C4i) facilities, SmartForce office and Office of the Force Secretary in the Force Headquarters, Abuja,

In the same vein, the IGP has flagged off the practical training of Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs) and ICT Officers from the 36 State Commands and the FCT at the Force Headquarters on handling and using the gadgets provided for data capturing of all personnel, including a modernized hi-tech biometric machine with unique features like fingerprint scanner, 2D scanner, and Smart Facial Recognition application.

Consequently, and in view of his vision for a Police driven by the integration of cutting-edge technology, the Police Chief, has ordered a total overhaul of the former system and a swift commencement of the digitalization process across all Commands and Formations of the Force ‘for timeous upgrade and operation of the system’, Adejobi stated.