The Presidency says the proposed National Policing Bill could reach the National Assembly within two weeks, bringing Nigeria closer to a new federal and state policing framework, although constitutional approval and safeguards against abuse remain major challenges.
Nigeria’s Federal Government has announced that the proposed National Policing Bill is 90 percent complete and could be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks, marking another step towards the establishment of state police forces across the country. Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the development on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after a meeting of the Presidential Working Group on police reform at the State House in Abuja. He explained that the committee was finalising outstanding provisions and reviewing observations submitted by state governors before presenting the legislation to lawmakers. The proposed law is intended to establish the operational framework for a decentralised policing system capable of addressing kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other security threats. Although the government considers the bill close to completion, it has not yet been transmitted to the National Assembly, and state police cannot begin operating until the necessary constitutional and legislative requirements have been satisfied.
The latest announcement follows months of consultations involving federal officials, state governors, security agencies, legal experts and other stakeholders seeking to develop a workable structure for state policing. The Presidential Working Group began its detailed deliberations in August, examining how the country could operate federal and state police services without creating conflicting chains of command. Its responsibilities include reviewing existing police legislation, developing professional standards and determining the conditions states must meet before establishing their own forces. Under the proposed arrangement, policing responsibilities would be distributed between federal and state institutions, with national standards intended to protect professionalism and public accountability. Supporters believe such a structure would allow security agencies to respond more effectively to threats peculiar to different communities. However, the final version of the National Policing Bill has not been made publicly available, meaning some details of the proposed operational arrangements remain subject to revision.
Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group, said the committee needed one additional meeting to address the remaining issues before forwarding the bill for legislative consideration. He explained that state governors had raised observations requiring further examination but expressed confidence that the drafting process was approaching completion. Describing the proposed legislation as one of the Tinubu administration’s most significant initiatives, he maintained that the need for policing reform had gained widespread acceptance. The meeting included Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun. Senior representatives of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the National Security Adviser’s office and legal institutions also participated. Their involvement reflects the complexity of creating a system that would require cooperation among different levels of government while maintaining national security standards.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, said the proposed National Policing Bill was 90 percent ready for submission to lawmakers.
The constitutional process remains a major obstacle despite the progress reported by the Presidency. Both chambers of the National Assembly advanced a constitutional amendment designed to permit the establishment of state police in June 2026, while the House of Representatives subsequently considered a revised executive proposal in July. However, amending Nigeria’s Constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds of the country’s 36 state Houses of Assembly, equivalent to 24 states, before the amendment can take effect. Gbajabiamila acknowledged reports that only about six states had approved the proposed change, indicating that substantial legislative work remained. The National Policing Bill and the constitutional amendment serve different purposes: the amendment would provide the legal authority for state police, while the policing legislation would establish standards governing their recruitment, operations, supervision and accountability. Consequently, completing the draft bill does not mean state police have already received constitutional approval.
For residents of communities affected by insecurity, the proposed reform carries significant expectations. Farmers in areas experiencing armed attacks, traders travelling along dangerous highways and families concerned about kidnapping have long demanded faster responses from security agencies. Advocates of state policing argue that locally recruited officers could possess better knowledge of rural routes, community relationships and emerging threats than personnel transferred from distant parts of the country. Such familiarity could strengthen intelligence gathering and improve cooperation between residents and law enforcement. However, the reform also raises concerns among citizens who fear that state-controlled security agencies could be used to intimidate political opponents, suppress demonstrations or interfere in local disputes. These competing concerns demonstrate why recruitment procedures, complaints mechanisms and independent supervision will be essential. No independently verified interviews with ordinary Nigerians responding specifically to the October 15 announcement were available, but public consultations have highlighted the importance of both effective policing and protection against abuse.
The debate over state policing is rooted in Nigeria’s constitutional and political history. Under the 1999 Constitution, policing is primarily a federal responsibility, with the Nigeria Police Force serving as the country’s constitutionally recognised police institution. The centralised structure has been controversial since Nigeria returned to democratic government in May 1999, particularly as state governments confronted security problems requiring rapid local intervention. Over time, several states established regional security organisations to support existing law enforcement agencies. A major development occurred in January 2020 when governors in the South-West announced the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, to address kidnapping, violent crime and other threats. The initiative generated national debate over constitutional powers and the relationship between regional security organisations and the federal police. The current reform seeks to address that longstanding constitutional question through a formal arrangement permitting state police services alongside the federal force.
Beyond the immediate security considerations, the proposed legislation could have substantial financial and administrative implications. Establishing state police would require expenditure on recruitment, training facilities, salaries, pensions, vehicles, communications equipment, detention facilities and professional supervision. Wealthier states may be better positioned to finance these requirements, while states with limited internally generated revenue could struggle to maintain comparable standards. That disparity raises questions about whether some communities would receive stronger protection than others. The Presidential Working Group has therefore examined proposals for minimum operational requirements and certification before state police services begin operating. Those requirements could cover recruitment screening, officer training, disciplinary procedures, firearms management, data systems, independent oversight and financial sustainability. The challenge will be designing rules that prevent underfunded or poorly supervised forces from operating while ensuring that states facing urgent security threats are not excluded because of limited resources.
The reform has also generated differing views among political leaders, security specialists and civil society organisations. Supporters argue that Nigeria’s population, geographical size and diverse security problems make exclusive reliance on a centrally controlled police force increasingly difficult. They maintain that decentralisation could improve accountability when state officials are directly responsible for protecting their communities. Critics, however, warn that governors could acquire excessive influence over law enforcement, particularly in states where political competition is intense and institutional checks are weak. Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of discriminatory recruitment, politically motivated arrests and conflicts between federal and state police officers. The proposed legislation is intended to address these risks through oversight and clearly defined jurisdictional responsibilities. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of such safeguards will depend on their final wording, the independence of supervisory institutions and whether violations can be investigated and punished without political interference.
The government’s immediate priority is to conclude the remaining consultations and prepare the bill for transmission to the National Assembly. Gbajabiamila indicated that the working group expected to resolve outstanding observations from governors within approximately one week, with submission to lawmakers anticipated within two weeks of the October 15 announcement. Once transmitted, the legislation would still require parliamentary consideration, potential amendments and the necessary approvals before becoming law. Separately, the constitutional amendment permitting state police must satisfy the required state legislative approvals. President Tinubu’s administration has presented decentralised policing as part of its wider response to insecurity, but no confirmed commencement date has been announced for operational state police forces. The sequence matters because legislative approval, institutional preparation and the recruitment of trained personnel are separate stages that cannot be completed merely by announcing that a draft bill is nearly ready.
Lawmakers during proceedings at Nigeria’s House of Representatives. The proposed policing reforms will require legislative action before they can be implemented.
The announcement that the National Policing Bill is 90 percent complete represents progress in a reform effort that has been debated for decades, but the decisive stages are still ahead. The government must finalise the legislation, secure parliamentary approval and complete the constitutional process necessary to establish state police. It must also develop practical safeguards ensuring that the new security institutions operate professionally, respect human rights and remain accountable to the public rather than political officeholders. For communities experiencing kidnapping, violent crime and other threats, the measure of success will not be the creation of additional police organisations alone, but whether those organisations can provide reliable protection and earn public confidence. Nigeria’s proposed dual policing structure could significantly reshape the country’s security system, making the quality of the legislation, its oversight arrangements and the readiness of participating states critical to determining its eventual impact
