Twenty-four State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria, meeting the constitutional threshold required for the alteration to proceed.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Friday in a statement issued on behalf of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, which he chairs.
According to the statement, the approval by 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies satisfies the two-thirds requirement stipulated under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for constitutional amendments.
The working group commended the state legislatures for approving the proposal, as well as the National Assembly for passing the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, through both chambers.
“In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent,” the statement said.
The proposed amendment is designed to provide constitutional backing for a dual policing arrangement comprising the Federal Police Service and state police services.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system and strengthen security across the country.
National Policing Bill Under Review
The working group disclosed that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, was undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The process was expected to be completed, with the draft bills returned on or before Friday, October 30, 2026.
The group said it would undertake a final consideration of the bills before presenting them to President Tinubu.
It also called on stakeholders to support what it described as a smooth transition to a dual policing system intended to improve public safety.
The National Assembly transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state assemblies on September 16 for consideration and approval, giving them an administrative timeframe of 30 days to communicate their decisions.
On October 9, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman, Yemi Adaramodu, expressed confidence that the proposal would receive the required support, identifying Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers as states that had approved it at the time.
