The International Association of Women Police (IAWP) Africa Region Training Conference commenced on Wednesday with a ceremonious opening at the Nigeria Police Resource Centre, Abuja.
The ceremony was attended by the wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as the special guest of honour, represented by the wife of the Minister of Works, Mrs. Rachel Umahi.
The conference, themed “Addressing Africa’s Security Challenges and Safety through Collaboration and Inclusivity,” aims at training women police and other security and law enforcement officers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills for battling crimes and security threats in a modern and evolving society, particularly in their various regions on the African continent.
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The nominees for the training programme include 520 delegates from over 18 African countries, including Nigeria, Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Congo.
Other dignitaries at the event included the former Vice President of Liberia, United Nations Representatives, Minister of State Police Affairs, Minister of State for the FCT, Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Chairman House Committee on Police Institutions, and other strategic stakeholders.
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The Chief Host of this conference, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, as part of his vision of reform policies for the Nigeria Police Force, launched the NPF Gender Policy which ensures gender sensitivity and inclusivity in the policy and operations of the Nigeria Police Force. The IGP further reassures the commitment of the present police leadership to gender inclusivity at all levels.
The conference signifies a great milestone in the achievement of a modern police force that is gender-sensitive, gender-inclusive, and consequently progressive.