The Federal Government has introduced that the National Policing Bill is 90% full and is predicted to be transmitted to the National Assembly inside two weeks as a part of efforts to set up state police throughout Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, in a press release issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a steering committee assembly on the State House in Abuja on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The growth comes amid considerations over the tempo of legislative approval for the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on State Police, with stories indicating that solely about six of Nigeria’s 36 states have authorized the modification.
Gbajabiamila confirms 90% invoice completion
Gbajabiamila stated the Presidential Working Group would maintain one ultimate assembly to tackle excellent points and incorporate observations from state governors earlier than forwarding the National Policing Bill to the National Assembly.
- “The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready,” he stated.
He defined that the committee was contemplating extra suggestions from governors, with the remaining work anticipated to be accomplished inside roughly one week.
- “The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” Gbajabiamila acknowledged.
The Chief of Staff described the proposed laws as essentially the most consequential invoice of the Tinubu administration, noting that it had undergone intensive deliberations for the reason that steering committee commenced its work on August 3, 2026.
The assembly was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
Also current had been representatives of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Bar Association and the National Security Adviser, alongside different members of the working group.
State police modification awaits state ratification
The National Policing Bill kinds a part of broader constitutional and safety reforms aimed toward establishing state police companies in Nigeria, decentralising legislation enforcement duties at the moment concentrated on the federal stage.
- The proposed constitutional modification seeks to introduce a two-tier policing construction comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, permitting states to set up their very own legislation enforcement companies alongside the federal police.
- On June 24, 2026, the Senate authorized the Constitution Alteration Bill searching for to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow the institution of state police throughout the federation, following suggestions from its Committee on Constitution Review.
- On July 23, the House of Representatives also approved the constitutional amendment, with 311 lawmakers voting in favour, assembly the required two-thirds majority regardless of protests by some opposition lawmakers over the legislative process.
Despite approval by each chambers of the National Assembly, the constitutional modification nonetheless requires ratification by a minimum of 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly earlier than it might probably proceed in direction of changing into legislation.
The proposed reform is meant to strengthen native legislation enforcement capability and enhance responses to safety challenges, together with banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal violence.
Presidential committee outlines state police framework
On July 7, 2026, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, appointing Gbajabiamila as chairman to coordinate the event of laws required to implement state policing.
- The committee was established to put together the operational and authorized framework for state police forward of the completion of the constitutional modification course of.
- Its duties embrace growing uniform policing requirements, figuring out the circumstances states should fulfill earlier than establishing police companies, and defining how federal and state legislation enforcement companies would coordinate their operations.
- The proposed laws can also be anticipated to set up accountability mechanisms, human rights protections and monetary necessities to information the institution and administration of state police companies.
According to the Presidency, the working group should produce laws that may be applied as soon as the required constitutional amendments have been accomplished, avoiding additional delays in operationalising the brand new policing construction.
The push for state police is pushed by Nigeria’s persistent safety challenges, which have elevated stress on the centrally managed policing system.
