The Nigerian Government has unveiled plans to convert police stations across the country into digital connectivity hubs under Project BRIDGE, an initiative designed to modernise policing through enhanced connectivity. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, made this announcement on Tuesday following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between his ministry and the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
According to Tijani, the initiative will enable police stations to function as points of presence on the Project BRIDGE network nationwide. Project BRIDGE aims to extend Nigeria's national fibre backbone from approximately 30,000 kilometres to around 120,000 kilometres, connecting all 774 Local Government Areas. The project also targets schools, health facilities, agro-industrial zones, rural communities, and commercial hubs with high-speed broadband, while establishing cross-border links with neighbouring countries such as Benin, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad.
Tijani stated that the initiative would improve service delivery and accelerate the digital transformation of the Nigeria Police Force. He revealed that a meeting with Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu and Mohammed Sheidu, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, explored opportunities for police stations to serve as points of presence on the Project BRIDGE network. The discussion also focused on leveraging connectivity to modernise operations, enhance service delivery, and expedite digital transformation.
During the engagement, a live demonstration showcased an AI-powered, voice-enabled local language statement capture and case management solution developed by Awarri. Tijani explained that the platform is designed to boost the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of investigative processes by allowing law enforcement to capture statements and manage cases in local languages using artificial intelligence.
Tijani expressed optimism that deployment would commence in Abuja and Lagos within the coming weeks before scaling across the country. He emphasised the importance of equipping public institutions to adopt and harness digital technologies to deliver better outcomes for citizens. He encouraged all public institutions in Nigeria to embrace emerging digital technologies and infrastructure to improve service delivery.
