Nigerian police ranks, symbols, duties and salaries (updated)

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.

Key takeaways

• The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has officers in various ranks in all 36 Nigerian states and the country's Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
• The NPF operates under the Administration, Command (Authority), and Organisation structures.
• In the authority structure, the Inspector-General of Police is the highest rank, while the constable is the lowest rank.

Nigerian police ranks, symbols, and structure

The NPF operates under three structures:

• Administration structure
• Command (Authority) structure
• Organisation 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. Below is a list of police ranks in Nigeria.

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How many departments are in Nigeria's Police?

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:

Command (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.

The 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. Here are the police ranks in Nigeria in descending order:

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1. The Inspector-General of Police
2. The Deputy Inspector-General of Police
3. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police
4. The Commissioner of Police (In-charge of contingents in a state)
5. The Deputy Commissioner of Police
6. The Asst. Commissioner of Police
7. The Chief Superintendent of Police
8. The Superintendent of Police
9. The Deputy Superintendent of Police
10. The Assistant Superintendent of Police
11. The Inspector of Police
12. Sergeant Major
13. Sergeant
14. Corporal
15. Constable

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. Below is a more elaborate list of police ranks and their symbols in Nigeria.

Inspector-General of Police

Commonly known as the IGP, the Inspector-General heads the entire NPF and is the most senior officer. The Inspector-General controls the administration of the NPF. Olatunji Rilwan Disu is the IGP as of April 2026, having taken over from Kayode Egbetokun on 24 February 2026.

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.

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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 Assistant 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.

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 (CSP)

The CSP ranks in the 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.

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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

Below the CSP rank in the Nigerian Police is the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), who 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.

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

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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 the 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.

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

The 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.

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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.

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 shown below in descending order:

1. Force Headquarters
2. Zonal Headquarters
3. State Commands Headquarters
4. Divisional Police Headquarters
5. Police Station
6. Police Post
7. Village Police Post.

Nigeria Police logo

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.

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What are the military ranks and their equivalent in police and civil service in Nigeria?

The military ranks differ slightly from those of 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 10
• The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) is similar to a Major General (Maj Gen) in the Army 11
• The 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's 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) - ₦1,875,820.68
• Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 1) - ₦1,639,392.72
• Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 10) - ₦1,729,824.84
• Assistant 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.

Legit.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.

Source: Legit.ng