Nigeria to link police stations to digital map, fibre network

The Federal Government is set to map and digitalise police stations nationwide as part of broader efforts to modernise policing and strengthen national digital infrastructure.

Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the Police Trust Fund (PTF).

He said the initiative would involve mapping all Police stations across the Country and assessing their proximity to existing fibre optic infrastructure to enable better connectivity and service delivery.

According to him, the exercise will help government identify police stations already within reach of fibre “points of presence” and guide more efficient expansion of the national broadband network.

Tijani noted that Nigeria already has extensive fibre infrastructure deployed through Galaxy Backbone and other government-backed investments, adding that better coordination through mapping could unlock greater value from existing assets.

He explained that the project could also influence future infrastructure planning, including the strategic placement of fibre points closer to police stations across the country’s over 7,000 wards.

The project, which is expected to be supported by the World Bank and the European Union, is part of Government’s broader push to strengthen digital public infrastructure and improve security service delivery.

Tijani also pointed to potential efficiency gains in Police operations, including the use of speech-to-text systems that could automatically transcribe citizens’ statements at Police stations, reducing language barriers and improving documentation accuracy. He added that capacity building for officers would be central to successful deployment.

The Minister said the project would run in phases over the next 12 months, with the mapping exercise expected to take the longest time due to technical requirements.

Mohammed Sheidu, Executive Secretary of the Police Trust Fund,ndescribed the partnership as a long-awaited step toward modernising the Nigeria Police Force, noting that it aligns with plans to develop smart police stations nationwide.

Sheidu said the initiative signalled a shift toward treating digital connectivity as core public infrastructure for security operations. By aligning police station locations with fibre network coverage, the government is attempting to reduce inefficiencies in communication, improve data-driven policing, and maximise existing broadband investments.

According to him, “the policymakers and investors, the project also highlights Nigeria’s growing focus on digital public infrastructure as a foundation for governance reform, with potential spillovers into telecom”