Mental and Emotional Capital: Implications for Policing and Security in Nigeria

Truth Serum

Nigeria is 60! With regards to security and policing, What are we celebrating? So, what does it take to be a good cop? Who is a good cop? How do we ensure that another attempt at reforms actually yield the sort of 'dividends' the country needs?.

This interview with AIG Austin Iwar, (Rtr) was recorded on the 3rd of October 2020, just before the #ENDSARS protests in Nigeria. I was keen to explore the concept of Mental and Emotional Capital and its implications for Policing and Security in Nigeria. My conviction is that any reforms and manpower development for the police force that does not adequately address the following would be ill conceived:

1. Psychological Services
2. Welfare
3. Reorientation

As we discuss, we talk about previous reform attempts and you will hear that previous proposals and attempts at reforms have always been about getting more

1. Equipment
2. Cars
3. Uniforms
4. Building more stations

While these are important, they are certainly not the most critical things. I believe the most critical thing is to define the man to be given these resources: to ensure he/she has the 'mental' capacity/mental resources to manage the physical resources including trust, that is given to him/her.

The following are critical mental resources:

Resilience, Self-motivation, Self-efficacy, Flexibility, Self-esteem, Relational Agility, Assertiveness, Trust, Memory, Beliefs, Empathy, Optimism/hope, Efficiency at learning, Self regulation, Self- awareness

As we talked, it became evident how important MENTAL CAPITAL is for Security and Policing.

Again recent events in the USA and the #ENDSARS protests here in Nigeria lend more credence to this point. Listen.

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