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The Presidency has set a Thursday evening deadline for public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill, as the government moves forward with plans to establish state police forces across Nigeria.
The consultation period, which ends at 5 pm local time on August 13, 2026, is part of efforts to gather input on the draft legislation that would create a framework for state-level policing, according to Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group on the bill.
Gbajabiamila said the submissions would help address concerns about political interference, oversight mechanisms, police misconduct and intelligence sharing between federal and state services.
The consultation is not a substitute for legislative scrutiny, Gbajabiamila said, noting that the National Assembly would still have the power to review, amend, reject or approve the bill.
He encouraged Nigerians to submit views on how police services could be insulated from political manipulation and how serious misconduct should be investigated.
“For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both,” Gbajabiamila said.
“We can bring policing closer to the people while building strong national standards, independent oversight and firm safeguards for every citizen. The time to fix policing in Nigeria is now, and we must see the work through.”
Gbajabiamila said the proposed system must include safeguards to prevent governors from using state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists or minority groups.
“Proximity does not guarantee justice. The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law,” he said.
He added that state police would operate within their jurisdictions while remaining bound by the constitution and human rights standards.
Gbajabiamila noted that the constitution currently recognises only one police force under Section 214, meaning a constitutional amendment is required before state police can be established.
Both chambers of the National Assembly have approved proposed amendments providing for federal and state police services, but the process remains incomplete.
The amendment must still be transmitted to state Houses of Assembly and approved by at least 24 of the 36 states before it can be sent to the president for assent.
The Presidential Working Group is preparing the National Policing Bill alongside the constitutional amendment process, Gbajabiamila said.
The bill would set national standards for recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, equipment and professional conduct, and also rules on the use of force, complaints, discipline and independent oversight.
Gbajabiamila said even after the constitutional amendment and bill become law, each state would need to pass its own enabling legislation and meet national conditions before its police force could begin operations.
“Each state that chooses to establish a service will still need its own enabling law, institutions and funding. It must also meet the national conditions for operation before its officers can begin policing,” he said.
States not ready to establish their own service would continue to be served by the Nigeria Police Force, he added.
