Key Points
- Public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill close at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
- Presidency seeks views on safeguards against political interference and police misconduct.
- Proposed state police framework would require constitutional amendment before implementation.
- States would still need enabling laws and funding to establish their own police services.
Main Story
The Presidency has set 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2026, as the deadline for Nigerians to submit views on the proposed National Policing Bill, which provides a framework for the possible establishment of state police.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the Bill, announced the deadline on Wednesday.
He said the consultation was intended to draw on the experience and expertise of Nigerians before the proposed legislation is submitted to the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila said submissions would help address key concerns surrounding state policing, including political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
He said the consultation would complement, rather than replace, the legislative role of the National Assembly, which would have the authority to consider, amend, reject or pass the Bill.
The Chief of Staff said the proposed system must contain safeguards against the misuse of state police by governors and other political actors.
He said concerns about the possible use of state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists and minority groups were legitimate and should be addressed through the design of the law.
Gbajabiamila said state police could bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges, particularly where officers understood local languages, geography and crime patterns.
He, however, stressed that closer policing must be matched with accountability, human rights protections and the rule of law.
The proposed framework, he said, would provide national standards covering recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct.
It would also establish rules for the use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight, intelligence-sharing and cooperation between federal and state police services.
Gbajabiamila said citizens should have access to credible mechanisms for reporting misconduct and seeking redress.
He explained that the Constitution currently recognises only the Nigeria Police Force under Section 214, meaning that a constitutional amendment is required before state police can be created.
According to him, both chambers of the National Assembly have approved proposed constitutional changes providing for Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but the amendment process is yet to be completed.
He said the proposed amendment would subsequently have to be approved by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before being transmitted to the President for assent.
Until that process is completed, he stressed, state police remains a proposal.
Gbajabiamila also said the National Policing Bill was being developed alongside the constitutional amendment process.
He explained that passage of the Bill and constitutional amendment would not automatically require every state to establish its own police service.
Each state that chooses to establish one would need to enact its own enabling legislation, establish the required institutions and provide funding, while meeting the national conditions prescribed for operation.
States that do not establish their own police services would continue to be policed by the Nigeria Police Force.
The Issues
The proposed state police system is intended to bring policing closer to communities, but concerns remain over political interference, abuse of power, accountability and differences in the capacity of states to fund and manage police services. The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish national standards and safeguards around these issues.
What’s Being Said
“Nigeria needs both” effective local policing and protection from political abuse. – Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President
“The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law.” – Femi Gbajabiamila
“The law must protect citizens regardless of who holds office.” – Femi Gbajabiamila
What’s Next
Public submissions will close at 5 p.m. on August 13. The constitutional amendment process must also be completed before state police can legally be established. If the proposed framework becomes law, individual states will still have to decide whether to establish their own police services and meet the required legal, institutional and funding conditions.
Bottom Line
The Presidency is seeking public input on a framework for state policing that aims to improve local security response while limiting the risk of political abuse. State police, however, cannot be implemented until the constitutional and legislative requirements are completed.
