Nigeria’s proposed transition to a decentralised policing system has reached a major legislative milestone, with reports on Friday indicating that at least 24 state Houses of Assembly had approved the constitutional amendment required to advance the plan. A later report put the number at 25 following additional approvals.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, announced that the required two-thirds threshold had been reached. Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval from at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state legislatures.
The proposed reform seeks to provide a constitutional basis for states to establish their own police services alongside a federal police service. Supporters say decentralisation could strengthen local intelligence gathering and enable law enforcement to respond more quickly to security threats within communities.
The amendment has already passed through the Senate and the House of Representatives before being transmitted to state legislatures for consideration. Securing the necessary number of state approvals represents an important stage in the constitutional process, although further procedural steps remain before the reform can take effect.
The proposal is being developed alongside the National Policing Bill, 2026, which is intended to establish the legal and operational framework for the proposed federal and state policing structure.
Gbajabiamila said the Presidential Working Group had submitted the draft policing bill and 29 related amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice on October 19 for legislative drafting review and validation. The ministry is expected to return the reviewed documents by October 30, according to reports on the process.
The working group is expected to consider the validated drafts before the next stage of the process. The proposed legislation is intended to address how the two levels of policing would operate within Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
The reform comes amid continuing national concerns over insecurity, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence. Advocates of state police argue that a more locally responsive structure could improve information gathering and coordination with communities.
However, the creation of state police would also require clear safeguards governing accountability, funding, recruitment and operational independence. Concerns have been raised in public debate about the potential for state-level forces to be misused without effective oversight.
The approvals therefore mark progress towards constitutional change, rather than the immediate establishment of operational state police services. Implementation will depend on completion of the required legal processes and the framework ultimately adopted.
Deborah Adeyefa
