…Presidential working group hails breakthrough, says dual policing system closer to reality
…Justice Ministry to return draft National Policing Bill, others by October 30
In a major move to deregulate security in Nigeria, the constitutional amendment paving the way for establishing state police in Nigeria has secured approval from 24 State Houses of Assembly.
By this threshold, effort at creating state police has met the constitutional threshold of 24 state, being 2/3 ( two- thirds) of the 36 states required to amend the Constitution to take policing from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent list.
Matters under the Exclusive List fall directly under the control of only the Federal Government , while both state and federal governments have mandate to handle matters on the Concurrent List.
The attainment of the 24 states approval threshold takes the country closer to a dual policing system.
This development clears a major constitutional hurdle in the Federal Government’s efforts to decentralise policing and for states to establish state-controlled police formations alongside the existing federal police structure.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill which announced the cheery development on Friday, described the approval as a significant milestone in reforming Nigeria’s policing architecture.
In a statement signed by its Chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, had received the endorsement of 24 of the country’s 36 State Houses of Assembly, thus meeting the constitutional requirement for passage.
The group commended the state legislatures for supporting the reform, while also acknowledging the National Assembly for securing the passage of the amendment in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
According to the statement, the successful ratification by the required number of state assemblies means the constitutional amendment could now be returned to the National Assembly for onward transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.
“In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent”, the statement said.
The working group explained that, once the constitutional process was complete, the amendment would provide the legal foundation for the dual policing arrangement envisaged under the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026.
It noted that the constitutional breakthrough would strengthen efforts to establish a policing framework under which federal and state police institutions would operate within clearly defined constitutional and legal boundaries.
The group also said that work on the accompanying legislation was progressing according to schedule, with the draft National Policing Bill and related legislative proposals currently undergoing review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
It said the Ministry was expected to conclude the exercise and return the draft bills to the working group on or before Friday, October 30, 2026.
Following the review, the group would give the proposed legislation a final consideration before formally presenting the package to President Tinubu for further action.
“The Working Group’s efforts remain on track. The Federal Ministry of Justice is currently reviewing and validating the draft Bills and is expected to return them on or before Friday, 30th October 2026.
“Thereafter, the Group will give them final consideration before presenting them to Mr President”, the statement added.
The group called on political leaders, security institutions, and other stakeholders to support the implementation process, stressing the importance of an orderly transition to a policing arrangement that could address the country’s security challenges more effectively.
“The Working Group urges all stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system..”
