The Presidency has announced that the draft of the proposed State Police Bill will be completed within seven weeks as part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system.
The timeline was revealed on the public information portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, where Nigerians have been invited to submit memoranda and position papers to help shape the proposed legislation before it is presented to the President and later transmitted to the National Assembly.
Speaking after a meeting of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the Executive Bill package is expected to be ready by September 3.
He explained that after a national consultation, the draft would be presented to President Bola Tinubu for approval before being revised and formally sent to the National Assembly.
According to Gbajabiamila, the final package will include detailed schedules, an explanatory memorandum, a legal audit, clause-by-clause analysis, a framework for state readiness, implementation plans, a validation report, a risk register and other supporting documents.
Describing the reform as a major step for the country, he said the goal is to establish a policing system that brings security closer to the people while maintaining national standards, protecting citizens’ rights and safeguarding national security.
He also clarified that while the constitutional amendment for state policing has already been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, the Working Group is focused on preparing the operational legislation that will guide how the new policing structure will function.
