President Bola Tinubu has moved Nigeria’s long-running state police debate closer to implementation by naming his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to chair the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.
The Federal Government inaugurated the committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as it prepares the legal framework that will guide the proposed state police system. The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly.
The development marks a major step in Nigeria’s attempt to decentralise policing at a time when insecurity, kidnapping, rural violence and overstretched federal security structures continue to test the country’s internal security system.
Why the Committee Matters
Tinubu wants the working group to prepare an implementation-ready National Policing Bill before the constitutional amendment process ends. The President said the constitutional amendment creates the legal basis for dual policing, but the National Policing Bill will provide the operational structure needed to make state police work.
In simple terms, the constitutional amendment answers the question of whether Nigeria can have state police. The National Policing Bill must answer the harder question of how the system will operate.
That includes standards for recruitment, training, funding, command structure, accountability, human rights protection, federal-state coordination and certification of states that are ready to run their own police services.
This is where the real test begins. Nigeria does not only need state police on paper. It needs a structure that can improve security without giving governors a new tool for political control.
Gbajabiamila to Lead Key Reform Team
Gbajabiamila will lead the committee, while Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, is also part of the team. Other members include the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe; the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; the National Security Adviser; the Inspector-General of Police; and the chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police.
A secretariat will support the panel’s work.
The composition of the committee shows that the government wants legal, political, security and state-level actors involved in the process. That approach matters because state police cannot succeed through federal action alone. State governors, state assemblies, police authorities, lawyers and civil society will all play a role in shaping the final system.
Governors Back the Reform
Speaking for the governors, Dapo Abiodun pledged state governments’ support for the reform. He said governors would work with their state Houses of Assembly to ensure quick consideration of the constitutional amendment once it reaches them.
Abiodun also described the proposal as a response to public demand for community-based policing. He pointed to regional security outfits such as Amotekun as examples of local security arrangements that have helped show why policing must move closer to communities.
He projected that if each state recruits about 6,000 officers, Nigeria could add nearly 200,000 personnel to support the existing federal police structure.
That figure shows the scale of what state police could bring. More officers could strengthen security presence in communities, improve local intelligence and help states respond faster to threats. But numbers alone will not solve Nigeria’s security crisis. Training, discipline, funding and accountability will determine whether the reform improves public safety.
Safeguards Remain the Biggest Issue
The push for state police has gained strong public and political support, but it also carries risks. Supporters argue that Nigeria’s centralised police system has struggled to respond effectively to local security problems. Critics warn that state governors could misuse state police for political intimidation or personal control.
That is why the National Policing Bill will matter as much as the constitutional amendment itself.
NBA President Afam Osigwe backed decentralised policing but warned that the law must prevent abuse. He said Nigeria cannot rely on one national police force alone, but the country must also avoid creating a system that enables oppression.
His concern goes to the heart of the reform. Nigeria needs state police to improve security, but it also needs strong checks to protect citizens’ rights. Without proper safeguards, state police could become another layer of power without enough accountability.
State Assemblies Hold the Next Key
The reform still has a major constitutional hurdle. Because the proposal requires a constitutional change, two-thirds of state assemblies must ratify it before it can become law.
Fagbemi urged governors to support early passage at the state level, saying Nigeria faces a critical security moment and all stakeholders must take responsibility.
That appeal is important because the reform can slow down if state assemblies delay ratification or if political disagreement grows among states. The Federal Government may lead the process, but the states will decide how quickly the proposal advances.
The Bigger Picture
Tinubu’s decision to set up the Gbajabiamila-led working group signals that the state police debate has entered a more practical phase.
For years, Nigeria argued over whether state police should exist. Now, the bigger question is whether the country can design a system that improves security, protects citizens and prevents political abuse.
The committee’s work will shape the answer. If it produces a strong bill, state police could become one of the most important security reforms in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. If it fails to build clear safeguards, the reform could create new problems while trying to solve old ones.
Nigeria needs better policing. But it also needs policing that respects citizens, answers to the law and serves communities rather than political interests.
