The constitutional amendment paving the way for the establishment of state police in Nigeria has secured approval from 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional alteration.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced the development on Saturday, describing it as a significant step towards reforming the country’s policing system.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also indicated that the proposed dual policing arrangement could become operational before the end of this year or in the first quarter of 2027.
Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure on Saturday in Ikeja.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, commended the state legislatures for approving the amendment.
He also praised the National Assembly for passing the constitutional amendment through both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
According to Gbajabiamila, the approval by the required number of state assemblies means the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to the President 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,” he said.
The working group said the amendment, upon completion of the constitutional process, would provide the legal foundation for the dual policing arrangement proposed under the National Policing Bill, 2026.
The framework is expected to enable federal and state police institutions to operate within clearly defined constitutional and legal boundaries.
The group added that work on the accompanying legislation was progressing as scheduled, with the draft National Policing Bill and related legislative proposals undergoing drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The ministry is expected to return the draft bills to the working group on or before Friday, October 30, 2026, for final consideration ahead of their presentation to President Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila said: “The Working Group’s efforts remain on track. The draft Bills are currently undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and are expected to be returned on or before Friday, 30th October 2026.
“Thereafter, the Group will give them final consideration before presenting them to Mr President.”
The working group urged political leaders, security institutions and other stakeholders to support the implementation process, emphasising the need for an orderly transition to a policing system capable of addressing Nigeria’s security challenges more effectively.
The proposed reform is part of Tinubu’s broader efforts to strengthen internal security, improve local intelligence gathering and bring law enforcement closer to communities.
The Presidential Working Group was established to develop the legislative framework for the reform, including the National Policing Bill and the consequential constitutional amendments required to accommodate the new structure.
It had submitted the draft National Policing Bill and 29 consequential bills to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, for legal review and validation.
Once the President assents to the constitutional amendment, states can proceed to enact their own laws establishing State Police Services. However, each state police service must be certified as meeting national minimum standards before its officers can become operational.
The National Assembly transmitted the Constitution Alteration Bill to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval on September 16, 2026.
Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, had said the state legislatures were expected to consider the bill within one month.
He clarified that although the Constitution does not prescribe a timeframe for state assemblies to respond, the National Assembly expected them to communicate their resolutions within 30 days of receiving the bill.
Ogunlana stressed that the 30-day period was an administrative timeframe, not a constitutional deadline, while acknowledging the constitutional responsibility and independence of the state legislatures in considering the proposed amendments.
The State Police Bill had earlier been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, which said it would proceed with the next steps after receiving the state assemblies’ resolutions, in line with due process and constitutional requirements.
