There is something paradoxical, on the face of it, for the Nigeria Police to be privileging its actorness in continental peace works when generalised insecurity is tearing Nigeria apart. But the other side of the argument could be that peace on the continent and peace in the domestic front are not mutually exclusive.
And so, the Nigeria Police chief heads for a 2-day-long think tanking at the NIIA. For February 2nd and 3rd, 2026, it will all be reflexivity galore as the police establishment bends over backward to interrogate itself.
Reflexivity can never be wrong, especially if it is not turned into the Nigeria’s “fine boy” way of doing things, with protocol and niceness taking more than 95 % of the time and nothing critical is ever said or done.
Nobody would argue that policing peace efforts at the continental level is not part of Nigeria’s responsibility to Africa if Nigeria were great but is Nigeria great and is it being done in the way that brings respect and mystique to Nigeria?
In that sense, critical observers would say that this is demanding account-giving from the Police by the NIIA and taking account – giving seriously by the Police establishment.
But kudos or knocks would have to wait how it all goes!
