State Police Bill gets seven-week countdown as FG invites input from Nigerians

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Federal Government has launched a seven-week roadmap for the development of the proposed National Policing Bill, inviting Nigerians to submit memoranda and policy proposals as part of efforts to establish a comprehensive legal and operational framework for state policing.

The initiative is being driven by the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, who made the announcement on Monday after the group’s meeting at the State House, Abuja.

According to Gbajabiamila, the Working Group is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Police Act 2020, the Police Service Commission framework, police regulations and other relevant laws to develop a modern, effective and accountable policing system capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

He explained that the proposed legislation will establish national minimum standards for policing, define the requirements for state readiness and certification, clarify the jurisdictional responsibilities of federal and state police formations, strengthen independent oversight, safeguard human rights, guarantee sustainable funding and provide an orderly transition to a dual-policing structure.

As part of the legislative process, the Working Group has opened a two-week window for the submission of memoranda, giving citizens, professional bodies, civil society organisations, security agencies, state and local governments, academics and other stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to the proposed legislation.

The submissions will be reviewed and incorporated into the draft bill, which will undergo further nationwide consultations before its final presentation to the National Assembly.

The Working Group has adopted a seven-week implementation timetable spanning July 27 to September 14, 2026. Under the schedule, the draft Executive Bill is expected to be presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on September 3, 2026, ahead of broader national consultations and final approval.

The proposed National Policing Bill will also provide detailed provisions on recruitment, training, oversight, funding mechanisms and transition arrangements aimed at ensuring credible, effective and accountable policing across the country.

Highlighting the standards expected of any prospective state police organisation, Gbajabiamila said:

“A proposed State Police Service must demonstrate that it has credible arrangements for recruitment, vetting, training, pay, pensions, equipment, custody, complaints, discipline, data, firearms control, independent oversight and financial sustainability before it begins policing.”

Also speaking, the representative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, described the proposed establishment of state police as one of the landmark reforms of the Tinubu administration.

Addressing concerns over possible federal interference, Abiodun maintained that the proposed legislation was not intended to place state police under federal control but to provide a uniform operational framework that would guide its establishment and operation nationwide.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, said the proposed National Policing Bill is designed to strengthen the protection of lives and property while ensuring that state police structures are not abused for political persecution.

He added that states unable to immediately establish their own police services would continue to rely on the Nigeria Police Force until they satisfy the prescribed operational and institutional requirements.

Other participants at the meeting included the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu; President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe; Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Professor Olu Ogunsakin, Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu; and Brigadier General Olutayo Muyiwa Adesuyi, representing the National Security Adviser.