A committee set up by the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has recommended a 60-month timeline for the implementation of state police, citing the scale of reforms required to avoid disrupting national security.
The proposal has drawn criticism from stakeholders who believe the timeline is too long, but findings show it is shorter than the 71 months earlier suggested by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
According to the panel, chaired by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, the five-year period is the minimum needed to transition 273,648 officers of the Nigeria Police Force into new roles across states and the Federal Capital Territory while building new policing structures.
The process will be carried out in phases, including preparation, application processing, officer transfers, federal police reorganisation and final consolidation, with each stage dependent on the completion of the previous one.
The report noted that the initial phase alone would require constitutional amendments, the passage of a State Police Act by the National Assembly, and enabling laws by states, alongside the creation of oversight bodies.
It added that states would need to establish key infrastructure such as recruitment systems, custody facilities, forensic units and digital policing platforms from scratch.
The committee estimated the cost of implementation at between ₦589 billion and ₦813 billion over five years, warning that attempting to accelerate the process could undermine coordination and effectiveness.
It also highlighted the complexity of redeploying officers through a voluntary system that protects pensions and welfare, while ensuring that vulnerable personnel receive special considerations during the transition.
