Nigeria Launches National Policing Bill Implementation Phase

On Monday, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, launched the implementation phase of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill at the State House Press Centre in Abuja. This initiative aims to create a comprehensive legal framework for a dual federal and state policing system, which is contingent upon final constitutional approval for state police.

Gbajabiamila noted that while the National Assembly has made progress—specifically, the Senate approved the proposal on June 24, 2026, and the House of Representatives passed the Executive State Police Bill on July 23, 2026—the amendment requires approval from state Houses of Assembly and the enactment of necessary laws to become operational. He emphasized that the Nigeria Police Force is the only constitutionally recognized police institution and that the National Policing Bill will address operational issues not covered by the constitutional amendment.

The Working Group includes representatives from various governmental and legal bodies and is tasked with producing an implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill.