President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive the proposed Executive National Policing Bill for consideration on September 3, 2026, as the Federal Government moves closer to establishing a legal framework for state policing in Nigeria.
The Presidency made the disclosure on Monday following a meeting of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists, the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the bill is being developed through a seven-week roadmap running from July 27 to September 14, with public participation forming a key part of the process.
According to him, the government has launched an online platform, nationalpolicingbill.com, to enable Nigerians submit memoranda, recommendations and position papers that will help shape the legislation before it is forwarded to the President and subsequently transmitted to the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila explained that the public consultation would precede the President’s final approval, after which the draft would be revised and accompanied by supporting documents before being sent to lawmakers.
He said the final package would include an explanatory memorandum, legal audit, clause-by-clause analysis, implementation framework, fiscal notes, validation reports, risk assessment and other technical documents needed for the proposed policing reforms.
Describing the initiative as one of Nigeria’s most significant security reforms in recent years, Gbajabiamila said the objective is to create a policing structure that strengthens security at the state level while maintaining national standards and protecting the rights of citizens.
He clarified that although both chambers of the National Assembly have passed constitutional amendments relating to state police, the proposal has not yet become law because it still requires approval by the required number of State Houses of Assembly.
Until that constitutional process is completed, he stressed, the Nigeria Police Force remains the country’s only constitutionally recognised police institution.
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Gbajabiamila also emphasised that the proposed state police system would not be allowed to become a political tool in the hands of state governments.
He maintained that safeguards are being built into the legislation to prevent abuse of power, including the unlawful arrest of political opponents or selective enforcement of the law.
According to him, any federal intervention in state policing would only occur under exceptional circumstances and must remain evidence-based, proportionate, time-bound and subject to review.
The Presidency said Nigerians will have about two weeks to make submissions through the online portal, with the possibility of extending the consultation period if necessary.
On the financial implications of implementing state police, Gbajabiamila said it was too early to provide an estimate, noting that the eventual cost would be determined through detailed research and would vary from state to state based on manpower, infrastructure and operational requirements.
He added that while national standards would guide the operation of state police services, states with greater capacity would be free to exceed the minimum requirements, provided citizens’ rights and security standards are protected nationwide.