Nigeria will withdraw police officers from VIP security duties in line with a presidential directive, a minister has said.

State Minister of Police Affairs Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the police force was currently struggling following decades of neglect that had hampered its ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate.

She said in order to realise the president’s vision of a renewed, highly effective force, the police would have to evolve its operations.

She told the police to champion a review of its training institutions “to ensure they are reflective of the evolving landscape of law enforcement, incorporating contemporary practices and international standards”.

She spoke during a two-day retreat with the police cadres in the capital, Abuja.

She said the ministry had key mandates of “developing and implementing a harmonised police reform report and amending the police act, as well as executing the president’s directive on the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP security duties and developing a community policing strategy”.

She said the mandates were “transformative initiatives” aimed at enhancing internal security in Nigeria.