The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has partnered with Rashtriya Raksha University, India, to strengthen stress management, emotional well-being and psychological resilience among law enforcement officers in Nigeria.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Muhammed disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while declaring open an International Training Workshop on Stress Management and Emotional Well-being for Law Enforcement Officers in Nigeria.
Muhammed said the workshop, held at the ICT Hall of the FRSC National Headquarters, Abuja, was aimed at equipping frontline officers with practical skills to manage occupational stress, regulate emotions and build psychological resilience.
He said the initiative became necessary because law enforcement personnel were increasingly exposed to traumatic incidents, road traffic crashes, emergencies, disasters, security challenges and other critical situations that placed significant psychological and emotional demands on them.
According to him, while law enforcement agencies had traditionally focused on technical and operational competencies, sustainable effectiveness also depended on the mental and emotional well-being of officers.
The Corps Marshal noted that poorly managed stress could affect judgement, decision-making, interpersonal relationships, productivity and overall operational effectiveness, making psychological resilience a strategic necessity for law enforcement agencies.
Muhammed said the FRSC had remained committed to developing a professional, resilient and people-centred workforce capable of delivering efficient road safety administration and emergency response services.
He explained that the partnership with Rashtriya Raksha University was part of efforts to align the Corps’ human capacity development programmes with global best practices and followed plans for the adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding between both institutions.
The collaboration, he said, would equip participating officers with competencies in stress management, emotional regulation, psychological resilience, self-management and peer support.
He added that the skills would not only promote the personal well-being of officers but also enhance professionalism, casualty handling, emergency response and service delivery to Nigerians.
Muhammed disclosed that the workshop had been in planning for more than a year and was designed to provide practical tools for managing occupational stress, recognising emotional challenges, promoting mental health awareness, strengthening resilience and improving workplace effectiveness.
He urged participants, particularly tactical-level officers regularly engaged in frontline operations, to actively participate in the training and draw from the expertise of facilitators from Rashtriya Raksha University.
The Corps Marshal commended the Government of India, through Rashtriya Raksha University, for sharing its expertise and experience with Nigeria, describing the partnership as an important milestone in international cooperation and institutional capacity building.
He also acknowledged the support of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other stakeholders whose contributions facilitated the programme.
Muhammed stressed that the success of the workshop would ultimately be measured by the extent to which participants translated the knowledge acquired into improved professional conduct, healthier work environments, enhanced resilience and better service delivery.
He called on leaders of law enforcement agencies to promote organisational cultures that recognise mental health as an essential component of operational readiness.
“Taking care of those who protect the society is indispensable to building safer communities and stronger institutions,” he said.
The Corps Marshal urged participants to return to their respective organisations as ambassadors of psychological wellness and resilience, expressing confidence that the knowledge and skills gained would contribute to improving the effectiveness, professionalism and emotional well-being of law enforcement officers across Nigeria.
The workshop brings together officers from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, alongside FRSC personnel, international facilitators and development partners.
