President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive the Executive National Policing Bill for consideration on September 3, 2026, as the Presidency launches a public portal to allow Nigerians contribute to the proposed legislation before it is transmitted to the National Assembly.
The announcement was made on Monday by the President’s Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, after a meeting of the committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Gbajabiamila disclosed that the Working Group had adopted a seven-week implementation timetable running from July 27 to September 14, 2026, to complete the proposed legislation.
“The resulting Executive Bill package is scheduled for presentation to the President on the 3rd of September.
“Subject to his approval, and I think we have tweaked that so the national consultation will come before the President’s final approval, after which the text and supporting materials will be revised and prepared for formal transmission to the National Assembly,” he said.
According to him, the final legislative package will include schedules, an explanatory memorandum, a legal audit, a consequential amendments matrix, a clause-by-clause analysis, a State readiness framework, a fiscal and implementation note, a validation report, a risk register and a controlled digital archive.
Describing the reform as long overdue, Gbajabiamila said the goal was to establish a policing structure that balances state-level effectiveness with national standards.
“This is a monumental reform that Nigerians have debated for many years.
“Our central task now is to design a lawful, professional and sustainable federal and state policing system that places greater capability closer to the people while preserving national standards, national security and the rights of every Nigerian,” he said.
He clarified that although both chambers of the National Assembly had passed the constitutional amendment on state policing, it has not yet become law because it still requires approval from state Houses of Assembly.
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“The Senate approved the State Police constitutional proposal on June 24, 2026, and the House of Representatives passed the Executive State Police Bill on 23 July 2026.
“The constitutional amendment is, however, not yet in force. It must obtain the approval required from the State Houses of Assembly as prescribed under the Constitution.
“Until that process is concluded, there is no operational State Police Service anywhere in Nigeria, and the Nigeria Police Force remains the constitutionally recognised police institution,” he explained.
Speaking on the principles guiding the proposed policing framework, Gbajabiamila stressed that state police must not become a tool for political intimidation.
“State Police cannot mean 36 state militias, just as national standards cannot become a disguised method of re-centralising day-to-day State policing.
“No political officeholder should be able to direct the arrest of an opponent, the suppression of lawful political activity or the selective enforcement of the law.
“Federal intervention must remain exceptional, evidence-based, proportionate, time-limited and reviewable,” he stated.
The Chief of Staff also announced the launch of nationalpolicingbill.com, a platform where Nigerians can submit memoranda and recommendations to help shape the proposed legislation.
“There will be a website which has gone live already, for members of the public to learn about the stages of what we’re doing, and to actually contribute and send their contributions through that platform.
“So the public is included, no matter your station in life. The website is nationalpolicingbill.com, which will metamorphose hopefully in the next couple of days to .gov.ng,” he said.
When asked about the financial implications of implementing the new policing structure, Gbajabiamila said it was too early to provide an estimate.
“There is no cost that will be too much to secure lives and property.”
He added:
“Giving you a cost now will be pulling something out of thin air.
“The cost will be evidence-based, based on thorough research, and on a state-by-state basis, because one state differs from the other in terms of personnel, infrastructure and local needs. It’s a good question, but it’s premature.”
Addressing concerns that national standards could weaken the independence of state police, he insisted the standards would only serve as minimum benchmarks.
“National standards are there to ensure safeguards. You can’t just give states carte blanche to do whatever they want, there’s no basic uniformity in that.
“Those standards are just the minimum. States can go beyond if they have the capacity. But no citizen will be shortchanged just because a state cannot meet the minimum.”