President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
President Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the panel at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to a statement by Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the inauguration followed the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, in which the President proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
The President said that while the constitutional amendment creates the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure for its implementation.
“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill.”
He said the proposed legislation would address issues necessary for a smooth operationalisation of the State Police system.
“The proposed National Policing Bill will include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.”
The President said that the committee will produce an implementation-ready draft bill immediately after the constitutional amendment process.
“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” Tinubu said.
He said the committee was necessary to avoid delays after the State Police bill passed.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he said.
Gbajabiamila will serve as the committee’s chairman. Members include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police. A Secretariat will offer some administrative assistance to the committee.
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, on behalf of the NGF, pledged governors’ support for the speedy implementation of the reform.
