With 30 State Houses of Assembly having concurred with the constitutional amendment, the pathway to establishing state police in Nigeria nears completion, leaving only final state endorsements and transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent. The required two-thirds threshold of the 36 states stands at 24.
The recent approvals from Lagos, Niger, Kogi, and Ebonyi propelled the tally to 30. Concurrently, the presidency has called upon the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to formulate a comprehensive financing and implementation blueprint, underscoring that business security extends far beyond fortified private gates.
Addressing the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila emphasised that insecurity continues to disrupt supply chains, delay expansions, and strangle investments. He urged the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and business associations to deliver practical proposals for institutional management and funding.
While welcoming private collaboration, Gbajabiamila issued a stern warning regarding independence. Contributions toward infrastructure must remain transparent, he noted, insisting that public funding must be dependable and that donations must never buy influence over investigations. Furthermore, states must prove long-term financial viability for recurring obligations like salaries and training before launching police services.
While legislative support broadens, regional leaders have voiced mixed reactions regarding federal oversight. Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa welcomed the reform but cautioned that the proposed framework leaves excessive power at the federal level, advocating full regional autonomy. Conversely, Ebonyi Speaker Moses Ije Odunwa and Kogi Speaker Aliyu Umar Yusuf led their respective assemblies to unanimous approvals, highlighting the urgent need to combat local violent crimes.
Defending the architecture of the reform, Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that the federal police force will remain intact to complement state services under strict regulatory safeguards. However, criminologist Prof Etannibi Alemika cautioned that decentralisation alone cannot cure systemic vulnerabilities without addressing deeper socio-economic drivers and preventing political interference by state governors.
Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.
