President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to develop the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
The inauguration, held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was performed on the President’s behalf by his Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila.
The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the Senate, proposing a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Speaking at the event, Tinubu said that while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for state policing, the proposed National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure required for its implementation.
According to the President, the legislation will address key issues including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards, personnel transition and funding requirements.
He explained that the committee had been constituted to produce an implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.
Tinubu also said the panel would recommend additional legal instruments needed to ensure the seamless implementation of the proposed dual policing system, stressing that preparations should not wait until the constitutional amendment is finalised.
Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, while members include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; the National Security Adviser; the Inspector-General of Police; the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe; the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police; and the committee’s secretariat.
Speaking at the inauguration, Fagbemi described the initiative as timely in view of the country’s prevailing security challenges, saying all stakeholders must work together to ensure its success.
He urged state governors to facilitate the speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective Houses of Assembly, describing the process as a shared national responsibility.
Also speaking, NBA President Afam Osigwe reaffirmed the association’s support for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria could no longer be effectively secured by a single national police force.
Osigwe said the proposed legislation responded to long-standing calls for decentralised policing and acknowledged the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
He added that establishing state police would significantly increase the country’s security manpower, noting that if each state recruited about 6,000 personnel, nearly 200,000 additional officers would complement the existing federal police force.
He also commended the Tinubu administration for beginning implementation planning before the completion of the constitutional amendment process, describing the move as proactive and necessary for a smooth transition.
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