The National Policing Bill is 90 per cent ready for transmission to the National Assembly, with the Federal Government targeting submission within the next two weeks, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said.
Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group on Police Reform, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House, Abuja.
He said the committee was putting finishing touches to the proposed legislation, adding that another meeting might be required to address outstanding issues before the bill is transmitted to lawmakers.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90 per cent ready,” he said.
According to him, the governors have raised a few observations that are being considered by the working group, with the committee expecting to conclude its work shortly.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” Gbajabiamila added.
He described the proposed legislation as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far”, highlighting the significance of the ongoing efforts to reform policing in the country.
The presidential working group has been deliberating on the bill since its steering committee commenced work on August 3, undertaking what Gbajabiamila described as strenuous exercises over the past several weeks.
The development comes amid renewed efforts to establish state police through constitutional amendments, a proposal that has generated extensive debate over how policing powers and responsibilities should be distributed between federal and state authorities.
Gbajabiamila also expressed confidence that state governments would support the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill, which seeks to provide a constitutional framework for state police.
His remarks followed concerns over reports that only about six states had passed the amendment out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The presidential chief of staff insisted that there was broad national agreement on the need for the proposed constitutional changes, dismissing suggestions that state governments might reconsider their positions.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.
The proposed amendment is expected to be a major step in the broader police reform process, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing could improve security responses and enable law enforcement agencies to address local threats more effectively.
However, the National Policing Bill and the constitutional amendment remain separate but related aspects of the reform process, with the bill expected to proceed to the National Assembly after the working group concludes its deliberations.
Those present at Thursday’s meeting included the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; and Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Other participants included retired Justice Abdullahi Liman, chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee; Professor Olu Ogunsakin, head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat; and Dr Lanre Smart, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).
Also in attendance were Nnadubem Moghalu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and secretary of the committee; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association president; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser.
The State House statement announcing the development was issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The planned transmission of the bill within two weeks would mark a significant milestone in the administration’s efforts to advance its policing reform agenda, although the proposed constitutional amendment must also secure the required legislative approvals before state police can be established under the new framework
