President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the presidential working group tasked with drafting the National Policing Bill, marking a major step towards implementing state police across Nigeria.
According to TheCable, the committee will develop the legal framework needed to operationalise state policing following the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly.
The committee is chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, while members include Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Nigerian Bar Association President Adam Osigwe, Ogun State Governor and Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman Dapo Abiodun, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, and the chairman of the NGF committee on state police.
Represented by Gbajabiamila during the inauguration at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu said the constitutional amendment provides the framework for state police, but a separate National Policing Bill is required to establish the legal and operational structure.
He said the proposed legislation would address minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal and state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights protections and funding arrangements.
Tinubu directed the committee to prepare an implementation-ready draft bill for immediate transmission to the National Assembly once the constitutional amendment process is completed.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” the president said.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abiodun pledged the support of state governors to ensure the speedy implementation of the reform. He said governors would work towards securing prompt approval of the constitutional amendment in their various state houses of assembly.
Abiodun added that the proposed state police system would build on the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun and significantly strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
He estimated that if each state recruited about 6,000 officers, nearly 200,000 additional personnel could be added to complement the existing federal police.
Fagbemi described the initiative as timely, citing Nigeria’s current security challenges, and urged governors to facilitate the early passage of the constitutional amendment.
NBA President Osigwe also backed the initiative but stressed that strong legal safeguards must be included to prevent abuse of state policing powers and ensure accountability.
A secretariat will be established to provide administrative support for the committee.
