Nigeria’s parliament approved a constitutional bill on Thursday that would allow each of the country’s 36 states to create and operate its own police force alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force. The reform, long debated, aims to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
Supporters, including President Bola Tinubu, argue that decentralised policing is essential for responding more effectively to localised threats such as insurgency, mass kidnappings, communal violence and oil theft.
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill, with the Senate expected to pass it later on Thursday. The measure now requires ratification by at least two-thirds of state assemblies before it can take effect.
The legislation enjoys cross-party support and marks a major shift from decades of centralised policing controlled from Abuja.
Nigeria’s security landscape varies sharply by region: jihadist insurgency dominates the northeast; banditry and kidnappings affect the northwest and north-central areas; separatist-linked attacks occur in the southeast; and oil theft persists in the Niger Delta.
State governors have long argued that they are held responsible for security yet lack operational control over local police. Advocates of state forces say decentralisation could improve emergency response times, strengthen intelligence, and deploy officers familiar with local communities.
"Nigeria's centralised policing model slows emergency responses because states lack direct control," said Ayomide Akinwale, analyst at SBM Intelligence.
In May, gunmen abducted dozens of students and teachers in Oyo and Borno states, underscoring the reach of criminal and insurgent networks. Tinubu has promised increased federal police recruitment, giving momentum to the reform, which has stalled in previous attempts due to political differences.
Critics, however, warn that state police could be misused for political purposes, target minorities, or struggle with funding, training, and coordination, particularly in poorer states.
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