Professional Development Needs of Forensic Practitioners in North East Nigeria: A Training Gap Analysis

Addressing professional development gaps among forensic practitioners is essential for maintaining the scientific integrity and operational effectiveness of forensic services across Nigeria's diverse geopolitical landscape. This study conducts a training gap analysis among forensic practitioners in four states of the North East geopolitical zone: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and Yobe. A professional development survey design was employed, administering competency assessment questionnaires to eighty-five forensic practitioners across police forensic units, teaching hospital pathology departments, and state laboratories, supplemented by focus groups with twelve training coordinators. The study maps existing competencies against role-specific requirements in crime scene investigation, laboratory analysis, report writing, and courtroom testimony. Findings reveal substantial competency deficits in digital forensics, advanced trace evidence analysis, and expert witness communication, with over sixty percent of practitioners identifying these as areas requiring urgent training investment. Existing training provision is predominantly confined to initial qualification programmes, with minimal continuing professional development activity post-employment. Structural factors including insecurity, infrastructure deficits, and limited training budgets are identified as barriers to professional development in the zone. Recommendations include the establishment of a regional forensic training consortium for North East Nigeria and the development of a modular, distance-learning-compatible continuing professional development curriculum. Keywords: professional development, training gap analysis, forensic practitioners, North East Nigeria, competency.