Presidential Panel submits National Policing Draft, 29 Amendment Bills to Justice Ministry
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA — THE Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has concluded the drafting phase of its assignment and formally submitted the draft National Policing Bill (2026), alongside 29…
Calls for police reform, including the creation of state police, have featured prominently in Nigeria's security debate for years, driven by the Nigeria Police Force's struggles with manpower shortages, poor funding, and allegations of politicisation under a highly centralised command structure. Proponents argue that decentralising policing would allow state governments to respond more directly to local security challenges such as banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes, while critics have warned that state police could be abused by governors for political ends. Previous attempts at constitutional amendment to accommodate state policing have stalled in the National Assembly, making any fresh legislative push notable.
The submission of the draft National Policing Bill and accompanying amendment bills by the Presidential Working Group marks a formal step toward codifying a dual federal-state policing framework, as described by Premium Times. Both Vanguard and Premium Times confirm the draft has been handed to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review, but neither report details a timeline for further legislative action, which stakeholders or lawmakers will drive the process next, or how the 29 amendment bills would specifically alter existing laws and the constitution to give effect to the new structure.