PSC Initiates Review of Police Recruitment Process Sequence – Arase

Dr Solomon Arase, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), has disclosed ongoing plans to overhaul the sequence for recruitment into the Nigeria Police, with an emphasis on introducing aptitude tests as the initial stage. The announcement comes in response to the ongoing police recruitment exercise, as stated in a release by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Arase highlighted that the decision to reconsider the recruitment process’s sequence stemmed from reports received by the commission from the field. According to the reports, numerous candidates possessing impressive Senior Secondary School Certificates (SSSC) and National Examination Council certificates struggled with basic tasks such as writing their names or introducing themselves.

Expressing his concern over this revelation, Arase emphasized the need for aptitude tests to precede other stages of the recruitment process. This adjustment aims to eliminate unqualified candidates early on, streamlining the screening process and improving its efficiency.

Arase expressed confidence in the commission’s ability to establish an effective template for the recruitment exercise in Nigeria. He stated, “When we get it right at the entry point, we would have almost gotten 60 per cent quality in the expected performance of the officers, and that is our objective.”

Providing an update on the ongoing recruitment exercise, Arase revealed that 136,177 applicants had undergone screening since the process began on January 8 nationwide. Out of the 416,270 Nigerian youths applying for consideration in the Nigeria Police Force, the candidates are undergoing physical and credentials screening, leading to aptitude tests and other procedures, including a medical examination.

Arase highlighted the commission’s efforts to upgrade and automate processes to ensure credibility and establish measurable standards for the final selection of successful candidates. The screening results will be uploaded in real time to the commission’s portal and monitored by the Situation Room. As of now, 108,768 candidates out of the screened applicants have been successfully uploaded, with some facing delays due to network challenges.