Betrayed Behind the Badge: African Police Officers Trapped by Poverty Pay
Nigeria’s Police Officers
Introduction: The Price of Protection
From Kenya to Nigeria, from Zambia to Senegal, police officers are tasked with maintaining order in some of the continent’s most volatile environments. They patrol conflict zones, tackle crime syndicates, respond to civil unrest, and often face public backlash. But beneath the uniform lies a largely untold story; one of exploitation, poor remuneration, and a system that demands loyalty but offers little in return.
The recent outcry by retired Nigerian police officers, many of whom served through military rule, is just the latest reminder of a continent-wide crisis. Earning as little as ₦60,000 ($40) a month, these officers risked their lives only to retire into poverty, abandoned by the state they once swore to serve.
The Nigerian Case: Forgotten in Retirement
In Nigeria, the plight of police officers is acute. The Guardian Nigeria reports that some officers earn as low as ₦60,000 per month, barely enough to survive amid rising inflation and cost of living . Pensioners who served for decades report receiving no gratuity and surviving without medical care or housing.
With inflation hitting approximately 24% and rent prices skyrocketing, retired officers are left destitute. Many are unable to pay school fees for their children or afford basic medication. In a petition to President Bola Tinubu, one retiree asked: “Is this how the country repays men who braved bullets and bombs?”
This is not a new issue. Since the introduction of Nigeria's Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in 2004, police retirees have found themselves excluded from benefits enjoyed by other public servants. Unions like the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) have demanded reforms, but bureaucratic hurdles and political apathy persist.
A Continental Pattern of Neglect
Sadly, Nigeria’s experience is not unique. Across Africa, police salaries fall below living wage standards, despite the high-risk nature of the job.
In Kenya, junior police officers earn an average of KES 32,000–50,000 ($240–370) per month, according to local media. A 2018 report by the National Police Service Commission found that over 60% of Kenyan officers live in substandard housing, some even in police stations due to lack of barracks accommodation.
In Uganda, police officers reportedly earn around UGX 699,000 ($196) monthly. The Uganda Police Force has repeatedly lobbied for salary harmonisation with military officers, who earn more, but the Ministry of Finance has cited budget constraints.
In South Africa, where the cost of living is significantly higher, entry-level police constables earn just under R22,000 ($1,250) monthly. While comparatively higher than peers in West and East Africa, this salary is eroded by inflation and workload stress.
And in Zambia, police officers earn about ZMW 4,000–6,000 ($175–260), often working long shifts with no overtime compensation. A 2024 report by the Zambia Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (ZPPRU) noted that many officers moonlight as taxi drivers to survive.
Risks Without Recognition
Police work is inherently dangerous. Officers across the continent face threats ranging from violent criminals to terrorists. In Nigeria’s North-East, officers have been targeted by Boko Haram. In Mozambique, they battle Islamist insurgencies. In South Africa, confrontations with heavily armed gangs have become routine.
Yet despite this, many African governments have failed to provide comprehensive insurance coverage, mental health services, or adequate compensation for injuries or death. Families of slain officers often struggle for years to receive benefits; if they ever come at all.
Organised Struggle and Union Gags
Unlike other public sector workers, police officers are often legally barred from forming or joining trade unions. This leaves them without collective bargaining power and vulnerable to unilateral decisions on wages and benefits.
In countries like Ghana and Nigeria, police officers fall under “essential services,” meaning strikes or union organising are considered illegal. As such, their demands are typically channelled through informal lobbying or retired officers’ associations, which have limited reach.
In contrast, South Africa’s Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) is one of the few powerful police unions on the continent. POPCRU represents more than 150,000 officers and correctional service workers and regularly negotiates wages with the government. However, even in South Africa, wage disputes and strike bans limit the union’s leverage.
Reform or Repression?
African governments often spend heavily on militarisation and security equipment, yet fail to invest in the wellbeing of their law enforcement personnel. In many countries, corruption within police procurement, politicisation of the force, and lack of public trust further erode morale.
Calls for police reform tend to focus on misconduct and abuse of power; important concerns, no doubt but rarely do reform conversations centre the working conditions of the officers themselves.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for decent work standards for all, including those in uniformed services. While many African countries are ILO members, few implement these standards within their security agencies.
Conclusion: A Call to Humanise the Uniform
Africa cannot build stable democracies or accountable governments without first investing in those tasked with maintaining peace. Police officers are workers too. They deserve fair pay, dignity in retirement, healthcare, housing, and a voice at the table.
As poverty deepens across the continent, neglecting the rights and welfare of law enforcement officers does not only risk internal discontent, it undermines public safety and institutional integrity.
The plight of police officers must become part of the broader labour justice agenda. It’s time we look beyond the badge and acknowledge the worker underneath.
References