The National Assembly has moved the proposed establishment of state police to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process, following approval by more than two-thirds of Nigeria’s State Houses of Assembly.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, announced during plenary on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, that the harmonised State Police Bill would be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Kalu said the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly had received reports from 29 State Houses of Assembly as of the close of business on Tuesday, November 3.
He described the development as a significant step towards decentralising Nigeria’s policing structure and allowing states to establish their own police services alongside the federal police.
The bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters.
During subsequent proceedings, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed that the number of state assemblies that had approved the amendment had risen to 30.
The different figures reflect the timing of the announcements, with 29 approvals reported by the close of business on Tuesday and 30 subsequently disclosed during Wednesday’s proceedings.
Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly, representing 24 of the 36 states, in addition to the prescribed majority in the National Assembly.
The proposed reform is intended to decentralise policing responsibilities between federal and state authorities, amid continuing concerns over insecurity and calls for changes to the country’s security architecture.
The National Assembly’s transmission of the bill to the President marks another stage in the process towards establishing state police services.
Deborah Adeyefa
