The NPF (Nigeria Police Force) is Nigeria’s primary security and law enforcement agency. The country’s 1999 constitution gives the NPF exclusive jurisdiction throughout the nation. The Nigerian police ranks, symbols, and command structures are well laid out, as with numerous police, military, and paramilitary agencies.
L: An NPF officer getting a badge. R: IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun. Photo: @Nigeria Police Force (modified by author)
Source: Original
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The NPF has officers in various ranks in all 36 Nigerian states and the country’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT). So, what is the structure of the Nigerian police? Here is an exhaustive look at Nigerian Police ranks and symbols.
Nigerian police ranks, symbols, and structure
The NPF operates under three structures:
Administration structureCommand (Authority) structureOrganisation structure
The administrative side is divided into departments, while the authority structures operate under ranks. The organisational structure denotes the geographical hierarchy of NPF within Nigeria. Here is a complete breakdown of the Nigerian Police Force.
How many departments are in Nigeria’s Police?
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The NPF is subdivided into eight administrative departments. Each department has unique mandates, but the duties are interlinked, allowing collaboration and proper functioning. Here are the 8 NPF departments and their former names:
No.Department NameFormer name1Department of Finance and AdministrationA Department2Department of OperationsB Department3Department of Logistics and SupplyC Department4Force Criminal Investigation DepartmentD Department5Department of Training and DevelopmentE Department6Force Intelligence DepartmentNew 7Department of Research and PlanningF Department8Department of Information and Communication TechnologyG DepartmentCommand (Authority) Structure
The Nigerian police ranks are known as the command or authority structure. Like numerous other law enforcement and security agencies, the NPF has an elaborate hierarchical structure.
Have you ever wondered what are all the police ranks in order? This structure starts with the Inspector-General at the helm and a Constable at the bottom. The hierarchy is conducted through the Force badges of ranks.
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Officers of the NPF. Photo: @Nigeria Police Force
Source: Facebook
Here is a list of the structure of the Nigerian police:
The Inspector-General of PoliceThe Deputy Inspector-General of PoliceThe Asst. Inspector-General of PoliceThe Commissioner of Police (In-charge of contingents in a state)The Deputy Commissioner of PoliceThe Asst. Commissioner of PoliceThe Chief Superintendent of PoliceThe Superintendent of PoliceThe Deputy Superintendent of PoliceThe Asst. Superintendent of PoliceThe Inspector of PoliceSergeant MajorSergeantCorporalConstable
Each rank has definitive tasks and symbols associated with it. Authority is vertical, with orders obeyed downwards. These ranks are provided for in section 5 of the Police Act. Here is a look at the duties of each of the Nigerian police ranks and the symbols associated with them.
Inspector-General of Police
Commonly known as the IGP, the Inspector-General heads the entire NPF and the most senior officer. The Inspector-General controls the administration of the NPF. Kayode Egbetokun is the current IGP, having succeeded Usman Alkali Baba in 2023.
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A serving officer of the NPF is usually appointed to the office of the IGP through a recommendation to the sitting president. Once confirmed, the president forwards the appointee’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
The symbol for the rank of Inspector General includes the country’s coat of arms, crossed tipstaffs, and two stars, all surrounded by a laurel typically worn over the officer’s shoulder.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police
This is the second-in-command at the NPF and can even play the role of IGP in his absence. A deputy inspector-general of police heads each of the seven administrative departments mentioned earlier.
The symbol for the rank of the Deputy Inspector-General is like that of the IGP but with one star instead of two.
The Asst. Inspector-General of Police
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) is subordinate to the Deputy Inspector General. Officers in this rank are tasked with overseeing the zonal operations of the NPF. Additionally, the AIG can take his superior’s role in his absence.
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The symbol denoting the rank of AIG is the country’s coat of arms. This consists of cross tipstaffs and one bar, all surrounded by a laurel wreath worn on the shoulder.
The Commissioner of Police 
Members of the NPF saluting. Photo: @Nigeria Police Force
Source: Facebook
A Commissioner of Police oversees the force’s state command. An officer is appointed by the Inspector General, subject to approval by the Police Service Commission. The Commissioner of Police takes instructions from the highest-ranking officer (the IGP) or anyone acting on his behalf.
The symbol for the rank of Commissioner is a laurel wreath surrounding the country’s coat of arms and crossed tipstaffs.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) oversees an area command. It is also known as the DPO police rank. The DCP is usually the second-highest-ranked officer in the force’s state command. If necessary, they can take the Commissioner of Police’s role.
The DCP rank’s symbol is a laurel wreath surrounding a single star and crossed tipstaffs.
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The Assistant Commissioner of Police
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) is directly below the DCP and takes instructions from both the DCP and the Commissioner. The symbol for officers in this rank is a laurel wreath surrounding crossed tipstaffs.
The Chief Superintendent of Police
The Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) heads a state NPF department. The symbol for an officer in this rank is a star and the Nigerian coat of arms.
The Superintendent of Police
This officer is directly under the Chief Superintendent and carries out administrative assistance tasks for the CSP. The symbol for this rank is the Nigerian coat of arms.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police
What is DSP in Nigerian police force? The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) sits below the Superintendent and can even carry out his senior’s roles in his absence. The symbol for this rank is a group of three stars arranged vertically.
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The Assistant Superintendent of Police
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) is the sixth-lowest-ranked officer in the NPF and sits above the Inspector. Two vertically arranged stars symbolise officers in the ASP rank.
The Inspector of Police
An Inspector of Police manages teams of Constables and Sergeants. A confirmed Inspector is denoted by a small bar above a larger one. A Principal Inspector rank is symbolised by three parallel bars, and a Chief Inspector by four parallel bars.
Sergeant Major
A Sergeant Major is the highest-ranked non-commissioned officer of the NPF. The rank is also the highest of the junior officers of the force. Officers in this rank are tasked with assisting administrative officers in regiments. The symbol for this rank is the country’s coat of arms.
Sergeant
A Sergeant is the middle-ranked non-commissioned officer who sits below a Sergeant Major. The symbol for this officer includes three red arrowheads pointed downwards.
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Corporal
This rank is abbreviated as Cpl. Officers in this rank wear a badge with two red downward-pointing arrowheads.
Constable
Officers in this rank are usually newly employed after graduating from the Nigeria Police Academy. The Constable rank has two grades and is denoted by a single red downward-pointing arrowhead symbol.
The Organisational structure
The organisational structure guides the operation of the NPF within Nigeria’s internal territory. It is in line with the country’s geopolitical structure and includes provisions for supervisory formations.
This structure is as shown below:
Force HeadquartersZonal HeadquartersState Commands HeadquartersDivisional Police HeadquartersPolice StationPolice PostVillage Police Post.
Nigeria Police logo
The Nigeria Police Force logo. Photo: @nigeriapoliceforce
Source: Original
The NPF logo has an eagle on the crest, sitting on two tipstaffs, then placed on an elephant on a green lawn. The eagle represents strength, the tipstaffs stand for authority and office, the elephant for reliability and steadfastness, and the lawn for Nigeria’s rich vegetation.
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How much do police officers get paid in Nigeria?
Here is a look at the annual salaries given to officers in the different Nigerian Police ranks, as published by Kashgain.
Nigerian Police RankAnnual SalaryInspector General ₦8,537,976Deputy Inspector General ₦6,558,872.76Assistant Inspector General₦5,997,022.44Commissioner on Grade Level 15 (step 06)₦3,635,645.64Commissioner on Grade Level 15 (step 1) ₦3,201,333.48Deputy Commissioner on Grade Level 14 (step 07)₦3,346,233.48Deputy Commissioner on Grade Level 14 (step 1)₦2,912,587.80Assistant Commissioner on Grade Level 13 (step 10)₦2,555,257.92Assistant Commissioner on Grade Level 13 (step 1) ₦2,198,228.76Chief Superintendent on Grade Level 12 (step 08)₦2,396,687.52Chief Superintendent on Grade Level 12 (step 1)₦2,065,068.72Superintendent on Grade Level 11 (step 10)₦2,251,400.28Superintendent on Grade Level 11 (step 1)₦1,937,739.49Deputy Superintendent on Grade Level 10 (step 10) ₦2,044,796.28Deputy Superintendent on Grade Level 10 (step 1)₦1,784,799.48Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 10) ₦1,875,820.68Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 1) ₦1,639,392.72Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 10)₦1,729,824.84Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 1)₦1,531,256.16Cadet Inspector on Grade Level 07 (step 10): ₦1,045,628.40Cadet Inspector on Grade Level 07 (step 1) ₦878,778.12Sergeant Major on Grade Level 06 (step 10)₦746,458.56Sergeant Major on Grade Level 06 (step 1) ₦661,737.72Sergeant on Grade Level 05 (step 10)₦671,686.08Sergeant on Grade Level 05 (step 1)₦582,490.56Corporal on Grade Level 04 (step 10)₦613,363.08Corporal on Grade Level 04 (step 1)₦536,586.36Constable Grade Level 10 ₦613,363.08
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What are the military ranks and its equivalent in police and civil service in Nigeria?
The military ranks differ slightly from the police and civil service in Nigeria, as shown below:
The Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) is similar to a Colonel (Col) in the Army 9. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) is similar to a Brigadier General (Brig Gen) in the Army 10The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) is similar to a Major General (Maj Gen) in the Army 11The Commissioner of Police (CP) is similar to a Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) in the Army 12
What is the lowest rank of a police officer?
The lowest-ranked police officer in Nigeria is a constable. This is an entry-level position for anyone joining the Nigerian police ranks.
How much is the ASP salary in Nigeria?
The Assistant Superintendent of Police salaries vary based on the grade. Find the annual salaries for each grade below:
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Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 10) – ₦1,875,820.68Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 1) – ₦1,639,392.72Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 10) – ₦1,729,824.84Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 1) – ₦1,531,256.16
The different Nigerian police ranks, symbols, salaries, and responsibilities are all part of an elaborate structure that governs the country’s police force. Typically, officers start at one of the junior ranks and work their way upwards to the higher ones.
Henzodaily.ng recently explored the list of Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in Lagos State as well as the chairmen at the helm of these bodies. Lagos state is divided into administrative divisions that are then subdivided further into Local Government Areas and LCDAs.
These units were put in place to make administration easier in the highly populated state. The LCDA chairmen are usually elected in council polls and then sworn in by the state’s sitting governor.
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