State governors are seeking greater constitutional authority over security operations within their domains and guaranteed funding arrangements for the proposed State Police.
This push is detailed in a newly revealed report from a meeting convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat in Abuja last week.
The meeting brought together state Attorneys-General, legal experts, and senior security officials to harmonise proposals for a constitutional and institutional framework for decentralized policing across the country.
The resulting recommendations, published in an NGF bulletin, provide one of the clearest frameworks yet for how federal and state policing institutions could operate side by side under clearly defined constitutional mandates. The renewed urgency for these reforms comes amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity across several parts of Nigeria. Issues such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, and violent crimes have continuously tested the capacity of the country’s centrally controlled policing structure.
Currently, although governors are commonly referred to as the chief security officers of their states, they exercise limited direct control over police operations because the Nigeria Police Force remains entirely under federal command.
According to the report, a major outcome of the meeting was a proposal for greater constitutional recognition of the governors’ roles in coordinating security operations locally, noting that participants reviewed “clauses relating to the authority of governors in directing security operations within their states.”
Delegates at the meeting stressed “the importance of recognising the constitutional role of governors in coordinating security matters within their states while establishing safeguards for professionalism, accountability and operational independence.”
It can be recalled that earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved constitutional amendment proposals to allow for the establishment of state police, passing the bill on June 10.
The Senate followed suit on June 11, passing the state police bill for a second reading and referring it to its Committee on Constitution Review. If adopted through final constitutional amendments and enabling legislation, the framework would represent one of the most far-reaching security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, fundamentally altering the national security architecture.
The report outlines a policing model rooted in cooperative federalism, setting up a clear division of statutory jurisdictions. The document notes that discussions centred on “developing a policing structure rooted in cooperative federalism, where federal and state police institutions operate within clearly defined constitutional and statutory jurisdictions.”
Under this arrangement, the Federal Police Service would retain exclusive responsibility for offenses considered national in scope, with the report stating, “Under the proposed framework, the Federal Police Service would retain exclusive responsibility for offences of national significance, including terrorism, treason, narcotics-related crimes and interstate criminal activities.”
Conversely, the document notes that “State Police Services would be empowered to prevent, investigate and support the prosecution of offences within their constitutionally assigned jurisdiction, particularly offences created under state laws.” To support this smooth transition, the document states that “the framework considers mechanisms for the transfer or restructuring of certain existing policing assets, commands and facilities to support State Police.”
To address long-standing concerns that state police could be vulnerable to political manipulation or abuse by state governments, the report noted that “participants extensively debated governance and oversight mechanisms required to ensure accountability within the proposed policing structure.”
One key recommendation is to include a rotating representative of State Attorneys-General on the National Police Council to strengthen state participation in national policing oversight and policy formulation. Furthermore, the framework caters to personnel management by proposing that “eligible federal police personnel to voluntarily transition into State Police Services, subject to agreed legal, administrative and welfare arrangements, without losing their rank, seniority or pension benefits.”
Delegates recommended “that such transfer arrangements be time-bound to provide certainty for workforce planning and institutional development.”
Funding emerged as another critical issue during the Abuja deliberations, with stakeholders emphasizing “the need for clear constitutional provisions guaranteeing sustainable financial support for state policing structures.”
Experts warned that without predictable financial support, state police services could face operational difficulties that would undermine their effectiveness. The report highlights “the need for predictable and sustainable funding mechanisms to prevent security financing from becoming discretionary and highlighted the importance of adequate resources for personnel training, equipment and operational effectiveness.”
To achieve this, stakeholders explored “complementary funding arrangements, including transitional federal support and the establishment of State Security Trust Funds to encourage partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders.”
Additionally, the document states that “the framework further provides flexibility for states that may require additional time to establish their own police services, allowing the Federal Government to continue administering policing functions through existing structures pending readiness.”
