The Federal Government has commenced laying the legal foundation for the establishment of state police.

The Presidency on Monday unveiled a seven-week legislative programme aimed at producing a comprehensive National Policing Bill, a document expected to define how federal and state police forces will coexist under a new policing structure.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the initiative would establish the legal and operational framework required for the proposed dual policing system.

He said the working group has been tasked with producing legislation that will clearly define the powers, responsibilities, command structure and operational relationship between the proposed state police services and the existing federal police.

He stressed that the process would follow well defined milestones to ensure the resulting legislation addresses constitutional, legal and operational issues before implementation.

Gbajabiamila cautioned that state police do not currently exist anywhere in Nigeria.

He explained that the Nigeria Police Force remains the country’s only constitutionally recognised policing institution until all constitutional requirements for the amendment have been completed.

“There is no operational state police service anywhere in Nigeria today. The Nigeria Police Force remains the constitutionally recognised police institution,” he said.

According to him, the constitutional amendment currently being processed will merely create the legal authority for state policing.

He said that a separate law would still be required before state police could become operational.

“The constitutional amendment creates the authority and broad architecture for federal and state policing, but it does not by itself provide the complete operating framework,” he stated.

He said that the proposed constitutional amendment has already recorded significant legislative progress, adding that the Senate approved the proposal on June 24, 2026, while the House of Representatives passed the Executive State Police Bill on July 23, 2026.

However, the amendment is yet to become law. Under Nigeria’s constitutional amendment process, the proposal must still secure approval from two-third of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.