The National Assembly is expected to take a major step toward the creation of state police today, with the House of Representatives scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment bill that would allow states to establish and operate their own police formations. The Senate is also set to consider the proposal for second reading.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review and is the lead sponsor of the bill, said lawmakers are prioritising the measure as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s growing security challenges. Members of the House on oversight assignments were directed to return to Abuja for the proceedings.
The proposed amendment seeks to alter Section 214 of the Constitution by moving policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List. This would enable the establishment of both the Nigeria Police at the federal level and state police forces in each state of the federation.
The bill also introduces legal definitions for state police and community policing. State police would operate within individual states to maintain law and order, while community policing would focus on partnerships between law enforcement agencies, residents and local stakeholders to address security concerns through collaboration and trust-building.
According to the proposal, the Nigeria Police, state police and community police structures would be organised and administered through legislation enacted by the National Assembly. The amendment is expected to provide the legal foundation for future laws governing staffing, funding, operations and coordination between federal and state policing agencies.
Kalu said there is broad support for the initiative among key stakeholders, including the Presidency, governors and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force. He noted that a recent meeting at the Presidential Villa involving senior government officials and security leaders helped finalise the framework for the proposed state police system.
If passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, the bill will be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for ratification. A constitutional amendment requires approval by at least two-thirds of the state legislatures before it can be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for assent. Lawmakers backing the proposal argue that state police will improve response times to security threats and strengthen efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
