Nigeria Launches Presidential Working Group for State Police Bill

President Bola Tinubu has launched a high-level Presidential Working Group tasked with creating the legal foundation for establishing state police forces across Nigeria. The group's primary objective is to draft the National Policing Bill, a crucial piece of legislation needed to operationalize the recent constitutional amendment that allows for a dual policing system.

The inauguration, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was represented by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila. President Tinubu emphasized that while the constitutional amendment provides the framework, the National Policing Bill is essential for the practical implementation of state police. He highlighted that the proposed legislation will cover critical aspects such as minimum policing standards, certification for state readiness, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards, and financial arrangements.

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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.

Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, which includes key figures such as the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), the National Security Adviser, and the Inspector-General of Police. The President stressed the urgency of the task, stating that the working group must be prepared to transmit the bill to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is finalized. Governors, represented by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, have pledged their support for the swift implementation of this reform, recognizing it as a response to long-standing calls for community-based policing.

The initiative aims to ensure Nigeria is ready to move forward with state policing once the constitutional hurdles are cleared. The working group's mandate is to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill, reflecting the government's commitment to decentralizing policing and enhancing security at the state level.

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The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly. We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment.