The Presidency has announced fresh progress on the proposed establishment of state police, revealing that the executive bill providing the legal framework for its implementation will be presented to President Bola Tinubu on September 3, 2026, as work intensifies on one of the country’s most significant security reforms.
The update was provided on Monday by the Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, after the committee’s inaugural meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila disclosed that the committee had commenced administrative and technical work on the proposed legislation under a seven-week, milestone-driven timetable running from July 27 to September 14, 2026.
President Tinubu had inaugurated the committee in July with the mandate to develop the legal framework required for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.
According to Gbajabiamila, the executive bill will be submitted to the President on September 3 for review before proceeding to a nationwide consultation and eventual transmission to the National Assembly.
“The approved work programme is a seven-week, milestone-driven exercise running from July 27 to September 14, 2026,” he said.
“The resulting Executive Bill package is scheduled for presentation to the President on September 3.
“Subject to his approval, a national consultation on the completed draft will follow, after which the text and supporting materials will be revised and prepared for formal transmission to the National Assembly.
“The timetable is demanding, but it is not a shortcut.”
He explained that the process was designed to ensure the proposed legislation benefits from broad technical input and public participation before it reaches the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila also announced that Nigerians would have the opportunity to contribute to the drafting process by submitting memoranda through the dedicated website, nationalpolicingbill.com.
According to him, the portal will remain open for public submissions for about 10 days, with the possibility of an extension if necessary.
“I talked about memoranda that will be open to the public from today—hopefully for about ten days. If there’s a need for an extension, we’ll extend that.
“The public is included. No matter your station in life, you have an opportunity to contribute meaningfully, because the whole idea behind state policing is for you and I and everybody sitting here and everybody out there to take ownership,” he said.
Addressing concerns over the financial implications of establishing state police, Gbajabiamila said it was too early to put a price tag on the initiative, insisting that any cost estimate would be based on detailed research and the peculiar security realities of each state.
“There is no cost to securing life and property. That is the first fundamental reason for being in government,” he said.
“At this stage, giving you a cost will be pulling something out of thin air. So we’re not going to be doing guesswork here or guesstimating as to what the cost is.
“The cost will be evidence-based. It will be based on thorough research and on a state-by-state basis because one state differs from another in terms of personnel, architecture, infrastructure and local security needs.”
The proposed state police framework is expected to address key issues, including command structure, recruitment, personnel management, funding, infrastructure and the varying security needs of states, as the committee works towards delivering a comprehensive executive bill for consideration by President Tinubu and the National Assembly.
