The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disclosed that significant progress has been made on proposals to establish state police in Nigeria, with discussions now focused on finalising the required constitutional amendments.
The disclosure was made following a high-level consultative meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where key stakeholders reviewed the ongoing security reform initiative directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Gbajabiamila, work on the proposed policing structure began several months ago as part of broader efforts to reform the country’s security architecture. He said extensive consultations have been carried out to address the legal, constitutional, and operational challenges involved in creating state-controlled police forces.
He explained that the establishment of state police requires constitutional backing and cannot be implemented without formal legal amendments. Discussions, he added, are now shifting from whether the reform should happen to how it will be structured and implemented.
Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the amendment process is approaching a critical stage, after which enabling legislation will be introduced to guide the operation, oversight, and coordination of the proposed system with existing federal security agencies.
He noted that there is growing consensus among stakeholders in favour of decentralising policing, describing it as part of wider efforts to improve security, enhance intelligence gathering, and strengthen rapid response capabilities at the local level.
The proposed reform remains one of the most debated security policies in the country, with supporters arguing that it could improve community-based policing and address rising security challenges more effectively.
If eventually approved through constitutional amendments and supporting legislation, the initiative would mark a major shift in Nigeria’s policing and security structure since the return to democratic rule.
