Nigeria is advancing toward the establishment of state police as a constitutional amendment to enable the reform is nearing completion, according to the Presidency.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said on Thursday that significant progress has been made following months of consultations between the Executive, the National Assembly, and security agencies.
He spoke to State House correspondents after a high-level meeting on the proposed state policing framework held at the State House in Abuja, convened by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila explained that discussions on the reform began several months ago under a directive from the President, adding that the process has now reached an advanced stage focused on constitutional amendments.
According to him, stakeholders are currently working on the legal and constitutional provisions required to establish state police, with enabling legislation expected to follow after the amendment is secured.
He stressed that the reform cannot be rushed, noting that it requires careful legal and institutional design to ensure effectiveness and accountability.
He added that the central debate is no longer about whether Nigeria should adopt state police, but about how the system will be structured and implemented within the constitutional framework.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has consistently advocated for decentralised policing as part of broader efforts to strengthen internal security, improve intelligence gathering, and enhance rapid response to local security challenges.
The consultative meeting was attended by senior government and security officials, including the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, among other senior officials.
The initiative is part of ongoing federal security reforms aimed at addressing rising internal security concerns and improving coordination between federal and sub-national security structures across Nigeria.