President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, a key step towards the implementation of state police following the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026.
The President, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, performed the inauguration at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, charging the committee to produce an implementation-ready draft bill that will provide the legal framework for the country’s proposed dual policing system.
The constitutional amendment seeks to establish a two-tier policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services. However, Tinubu noted that while the amendment provides the constitutional basis for state police, the National Policing Bill will define the operational, administrative and regulatory framework required for its implementation.
“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill,” the President said.
He explained that the proposed legislation would address critical issues including minimum policing standards, certification of state readiness, intergovernmental coordination, funding mechanisms, accountability, oversight, human rights protection and other safeguards necessary for an effective decentralised policing system.
According to Tinubu, the committee has been constituted to ensure that the legal framework is ready 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,” he said, adding that early preparation would eliminate delays in implementing the reform.
The committee is chaired by Gbajabiamila and comprises the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; the National Security Adviser; the Inspector-General of Police; Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police; while a secretariat will provide administrative support.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun assured the Federal Government of governors’ commitment to the reform, pledging that state governments would work towards securing speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective Houses of Assembly.
He described the state police initiative as a direct response to persistent calls for community-based policing and a more decentralised security architecture.
According to him, the proposal builds on the success recorded by regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West and would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s internal security capacity.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” Abiodun said.
The Ogun governor also commended Tinubu for commencing implementation plans ahead of the completion of the constitutional amendment process, describing the move as evidence of proactive leadership.
Attorney-General of the Federation, Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely, saying the country’s current security challenges require urgent institutional reforms.
“There is no denying the fact that we are in a critical moment security-wise, and all hands must be on deck,” he said.
He urged governors to ensure the prompt ratification of the constitutional amendment by their state legislatures to pave the way for the full implementation of state policing.
Also speaking, NBA President Osigwe said Nigeria’s growing population and security realities had made the case for state police compelling, noting that a single national police force could no longer effectively meet the country’s security needs.
While expressing the association’s support for the reform, he cautioned that the enabling law must contain robust safeguards against abuse.
“We must ensure we do not create a monster. The legal framework must guarantee accountability, professionalism and adequate protection of citizens’ rights,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the inauguration included attorneys-general and commissioners for justice from Plateau, Lagos and Ondo states, representatives of the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser, as well as other senior government officials.