The Presidency has fixed September 3, 2026, as the date for the presentation of the proposed State Police Executive Bill to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for review, marking a key milestone in efforts to establish a legal framework for state policing in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced this on Monday after the committee’s inaugural meeting at the State House, Abuja.
According to Gbajabiamila, the committee has begun administrative and technical work on the proposed legislation, which is expected to be completed within a seven-week timeline running from July 27 to September 14, 2026.
President Tinubu had inaugurated the committee in July with the responsibility of developing the legal framework required for the implementation of state police across the country.
Gbajabiamila explained that the executive bill would be submitted to the President on September 3. Once approved, the draft legislation will be subjected to nationwide consultations before being revised and formally transmitted 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.”
He stressed that although the timeline is ambitious, the committee would ensure the process remains thorough and inclusive rather than rushed.
Gbajabiamila also assured Nigerians that the proposed legislation would benefit from extensive technical input and public participation before reaching lawmakers.
On the financial implications of establishing state police, he said it was too early to estimate the cost, noting that any projection would be based on detailed research and the unique security requirements of each state.
“There is no cost to securing life and property. That is the first fundamental reason for being in government,” he said.
He added that the committee would avoid speculation, explaining that the eventual cost would be evidence-based and determined after assessing personnel, infrastructure, command structures and local security needs across the states.
Gbajabiamila further announced that Nigerians would have the opportunity to contribute to the drafting process by submitting memoranda through the committee’s dedicated website.
He said the submission window would remain open for about 10 days from Monday, 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,” he said.
He encouraged citizens from all backgrounds to participate in shaping the proposed law, saying the success of state policing depends on public ownership and collaboration.
The proposed State Police framework is expected to address key issues such as personnel recruitment, command structure, infrastructure and the diverse security challenges facing different states as the committee works towards completing the executive bill.
