Nigeria’s plan to establish state police has crossed a major constitutional hurdle, with 25 State Houses of Assembly reportedly approving the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution, paving the way for the next stage of the legislative process.

The development marks a significant step towards restructuring the country’s policing system to accommodate both a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, announced on Friday, October 23, that the required constitutional threshold had been met.

The working group had initially confirmed approval by 24 state assemblies, the minimum two-thirds of the 36 states required under Section 9 of the Constitution. Subsequent reports on Saturday indicated that the number had risen to 25.

The states reported to have approved the amendment are Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Zamfara, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Abia, Yobe, Kaduna and Gombe.

The constitutional amendment has already passed through the Senate and the House of Representatives before being transmitted to the state legislatures for consideration.

With the required number of state assemblies backing the proposal, the amendment can proceed through the remaining constitutional steps, including its return to the National Assembly for transmission to President Tinubu for assent.

However, meeting the approval threshold does not mean state police have begun operating. Further legislative action and the development of an implementation framework are still required before the proposed system can become operational.

Gbajabiamila said the approval provides constitutional backing for the framework being developed under the draft National Policing Bill 2026. He commended the state assemblies for supporting the proposed reform and acknowledged the National Assembly’s role in passing the amendment.

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The Presidential Working Group had earlier completed drafting the proposed National Policing Bill alongside 29 consequential amendment bills and submitted the documents to the Federal Ministry of Justice on October 19 for legislative drafting review and validation.

The ministry is expected to return the reviewed documents by October 30. The working group will then consider the validated drafts before presenting them to the President.

The proposed legislation is designed to establish the legal and administrative framework for a dual policing structure, defining the responsibilities of federal and state police services, as well as arrangements for their operations, funding, supervision and accountability.

Supporters of state police in Nigeria argue that decentralising law enforcement could improve local intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and enable officers to respond more quickly to threats such as kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence.

They also contend that officers familiar with local communities may be better positioned to identify security risks and work with residents to prevent crime.

However, the proposal has generated concerns about the possibility of political interference, particularly the risk of governors using state police against political opponents or critics. Questions have also been raised about funding, human rights protections, recruitment standards and mechanisms for investigating misconduct.

The effectiveness of the proposed system will therefore depend not only on its legal establishment but also on clear safeguards to ensure professionalism, independence, accountability and respect for citizens’ rights.

Although the constitutional amendment has crossed the required threshold, the next stages of legislation and implementation will determine when and how states can establish their own police services alongside the federal force.