The Federal Government has announced that the National Policing Bill is 90% complete and is expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks as part of efforts to establish state police across Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The development comes amid concerns over the pace of legislative approval for the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on State Police, with reports indicating that only about six of Nigeria’s 36 states have approved the amendment.
Gbajabiamila confirms 90% bill completion
Gbajabiamila said the Presidential Working Group would hold one final meeting to address outstanding issues and incorporate observations from state governors before 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 said.
He explained that the committee was considering additional recommendations from governors, with the remaining work expected to be completed within approximately one week.
- “The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” Gbajabiamila stated.
The Chief of Staff described the proposed legislation as the most consequential bill of the Tinubu administration, noting that it had undergone extensive deliberations since the steering committee commenced its work on August 3, 2026.
The meeting 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 present were representatives of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Bar Association and the National Security Adviser, alongside other members of the working group.
State police amendment awaits state ratification
The National Policing Bill forms part of broader constitutional and security reforms aimed at establishing state police services in Nigeria, decentralising law enforcement responsibilities currently concentrated at the federal level.
- The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to introduce a two-tier policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, allowing states to establish their own law enforcement agencies alongside the federal police.
- On June 24, 2026, the Senate approved the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to permit the establishment of state police across the federation, following recommendations from its Committee on Constitution Review.
- On July 23, the House of Representatives also approved the constitutional amendment, with 311 lawmakers voting in favour, meeting the required two-thirds majority despite protests by some opposition lawmakers over the legislative procedure.
Despite approval by both chambers of the National Assembly, the constitutional amendment still requires ratification by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before it can proceed towards becoming law.
The proposed reform is intended to strengthen local law enforcement capacity and improve responses to security challenges, including 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 development of legislation required to implement state policing.
- The committee was established to prepare the operational and legal framework for state police ahead of the completion of the constitutional amendment process.
- Its responsibilities include developing uniform policing standards, determining the conditions states must satisfy before establishing police services, and defining how federal and state law enforcement agencies would coordinate their operations.
- The proposed legislation is also expected to establish accountability mechanisms, human rights protections and financial requirements to guide the establishment and management of state police services.
According to the Presidency, the working group must produce legislation that can be implemented once the necessary constitutional amendments have been completed, avoiding further delays in operationalising the new policing structure.
The push for state police is driven by Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, which have increased pressure on the centrally controlled policing system.