The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has said over 12,000 police officers have participated in peacekeeping operations worldwide.

He said this at a conference in Lagos organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) to commemorate 60 years of Nigeria’s participation in international peacekeeping missions.

According to him, Nigeria’s performance in international peace operations is a mirror of the professionalism, discipline and accountability of its police force within the country, stressing that foreign deployment cannot substitute for strong domestic institutions.

Egbetokun said: “Effective peacekeeping policing reflects legitimacy, discipline and public trust, both at home and abroad. “Nigeria’s credibility in global security cooperation depends on sustained police reform and respect for human rights.”

Tracing Nigeria’s peacekeeping journey to 1960, after independence, he said Nigerian police officers had served under the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. He further stressed that Nigeria’s credibility in global security cooperation depends on sustained police reform and respect for human rights within the country. According to him, modern peacekeeping now places police officers at the centre of civilian protection, election security, community policing and post-conflict stabilisation.

The IGP said: “These roles require professionalism and adaptability, especially in the face of emerging threats such as violent extremism and transnational crime.” The NIIA Director-General Eghosa Osaghae said Nigeria’s peacekeeping challenges are largely domestic and rooted in internal policing capacity.

“What the police is doing outside is a reflection of its abilities and capacities within,” the professor said, adding that despite existing challenges, the Nigeria Police Force has made significant progress in skills acquisition and operational capacity over the last two decades.