President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to establishing state police across Nigeria’s 36 states, emphasizing the reform as a critical measure to address rising insecurity and strengthen governance at the subnational level.
Speaking on Thursday at the 14th National Caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, Tinubu disclosed that he had assured the United States and European partners that his administration would implement state policing. He declared that the reform “must happen.”
The President also stressed the importance of making local government autonomy work in practice, urging governors to stop withholding funds allocated to councils and their chairpersons. His remarks come amid worsening insecurity nationwide, increased calls for decentralised policing, and renewed pressure to implement the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments.
Addressing party leaders, Tinubu highlighted the need for reconciliation, accommodation, and flexibility at the grassroots, insisting that APC governors and stakeholders take responsibility for developments in their states and local councils.
He said he had briefed foreign partners on the state policing plan and expressed confidence that the APC would provide the political support necessary for its implementation.
“I had a very long discussion with the US and European partners. I was bragging to them that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security. They asked me if I’m confident, and I said, ‘Yes, I have a party to depend on. I have a party that will make it happen,’” Tinubu said.
He added: “And if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail. I think the reconciliation, the accommodation, the flexibility, is in your hand, all of you, and we are the majority. We are the leaders.”
On local government autonomy, the President stressed that allocations must reach councils directly to have practical effect. “To me, the local government autonomy, it is and must be effective. There is no autonomy without a funded mandate; give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s compliance of the Supreme Court,” he insisted.
