By Tekena Amieyeofori
The Federal Government has invited Nigerians to submit memoranda and policy proposals on the proposed National Policing Bill, as it moves to establish a legal framework for state policing nationwide.
This was disclosed on Monday in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a meeting of the Presidential Working Group at the State House, Abuja.
According to the statement, the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the group is reviewing the Police Act 2020, the Police Service Commission framework, police regulations, and other relevant laws to support a modern policing system.
The statement said the proposed framework will set national minimum standards, define state readiness and certification, clarify jurisdictional responsibilities, ensure independent oversight, uphold human rights, and guarantee sustainable funding. It will also provide for an orderly transition to a dual-policing structure.
The call for memoranda will run for two weeks and is open to citizens, professionals, civil society, security agencies, state and local governments, and academics. Submissions will be reviewed and incorporated into a draft bill, which will undergo further national consultation before being sent to the National Assembly.
The Working Group has adopted a seven-week work programme from July 27 to September 14, 2026. The statement noted that the draft Executive Bill is scheduled for presentation to President Bola Tinubu on September 3, 2026.
Gbajabiamila was quoted as saying:
“A proposed State Police Service must demonstrate that it has credible arrangements for recruitment, vetting, training, pay, pensions, equipment, custody, complaints, discipline, data, firearms control, independent oversight and financial sustainability before it begins policing.”
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, described state police as one of the defining reforms of the Tinubu administration. He also addressed concerns about federal control.
“There is no federal attempt to control State Police,” Abiodun said. “The proposed legislation is intended to provide an operational framework rather than centralise control.”
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, said in the statement that the bill is designed to guarantee security of lives and property while ensuring state police are not used for political persecution. He added that states not ready to establish their own police will continue to rely on federal policing until they meet the required standards.
Other participants at the meeting, according to the statement, included the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu; NBA President, Afam Osigwe; and representatives of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat.