President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, appointing his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to chair the committee tasked with drafting the legal framework for the implementation of state policing across Nigeria.
The inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday, 7th July 2026 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with Gbajabiamila representing the President.
The development follows the recent passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the Nigerian Senate. The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to establish a dual policing system consisting of the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services, paving the way for decentralised policing aimed at improving security nationwide.
Speaking during the inauguration, President Tinubu explained that while the constitutional amendment provides the legal basis for the creation of state police, the National Policing Bill will serve as the operational framework that will guide its implementation.
According to the President, the proposed legislation will address key areas including minimum policing standards, certification requirements for states seeking to establish police services, coordination between federal and state policing authorities, accountability mechanisms, protection of human rights, and financial sustainability.
Tinubu stated that the committee has been mandated to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed. The draft legislation will subsequently be transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration.
The committee is chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila and comprises key government officials and stakeholders, including Lateef Fagbemi, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police, as well as a dedicated secretariat.
Speaking at the event, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely, noting that Nigeria’s evolving security challenges require bold legal and institutional reforms. He expressed confidence that the committee’s work would provide a comprehensive legal foundation for an effective and accountable state policing system capable of enhancing security across the federation.