The long-anticipated establishment of state police in Nigeria may soon become a reality as the majority of state governors have endorsed the proposal during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held on Thursday.
The meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, saw all 36 states submit their recommendations. According to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, most of the governors expressed strong support for the creation of state police to address the unique security challenges in their states.
Governor Sani, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, noted that final decisions on the matter are expected to be made at the next NEC meeting in January 2025.
Progress and Setbacks
While the endorsement signals significant progress, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, led by Nyesom Wike, failed to submit its recommendations, marking the only setback during Thursday’s deliberations. However, Governor Sani assured that discussions will continue, and comprehensive reports from the NEC Secretariat will be deliberated upon in the next meeting.
“Today, we discussed the update on the creation of state police,” Governor Sani stated. “Out of the 36 states, virtually all have submitted their recommendations, and the majority are in agreement with the establishment of state police. However, the council decided to step down further discussions until the next meeting, allowing time for the NEC Secretariat to finalize its report and facilitate broader stakeholder engagement.”
Road Ahead
Governor Sani emphasized that state police would address the peculiar security issues faced by individual states, reflecting the overwhelming agreement among governors.
He added, “This initiative is crucial as each state deals with unique insecurity challenges. Once the report is ready and deliberated upon, it will pave the way for implementing this critical security framework.”
The proposal, which has been under discussion for months, previously saw pending recommendations from Kwara, Kebbi, and Adamawa states, but all submissions have now been finalized.
The NEC’s upcoming January meeting is anticipated to mark a significant milestone in realizing state police as a solution to Nigeria’s pressing insecurity issues.
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Opeoluwa Benson – Content Researcher
