30 States has approved constitutional amendment for State Police as National Assembly begins collation.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the National Assembly has commenced the collation of reports from state Houses of Assembly on the proposed establishment of state police, following approval of the constitutional amendment by at least 30 states.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Thursday while delivering a lecture to participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
Bamidele said the 30 state legislatures that had approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, had surpassed the constitutional requirement of two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
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According to him, Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, requires the concurrence of not less than two-thirds of state legislatures for a constitutional alteration of this nature.
He explained that the National Assembly would now collate and consider the reports submitted by the state legislatures before passing a resolution by a simple majority in both chambers.
Following the passage of the resolution, the bill will be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The Senate Leader, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the National Assembly was targeting December 2026 to complete the remaining legislative processes.
“We are pleased to inform our constituents across the federation that state police has moved from rhetoric to reality. We have already received formal reports from the state Houses of Assembly and, as of today, no fewer than 30 states have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026,” he said.
Bamidele described the development as a significant milestone in efforts to restructure Nigeria’s security architecture and make policing more responsive to local communities.
He said the next stage would involve considering the reports transmitted by the state legislatures, collating their positions and securing the required resolution in both chambers of the National Assembly.
“We have set a clear timeline for ourselves. We intend to conclude all these legislative stages — consideration of reports, passage of resolution, and transmission for presidential assent — on or before December 2026,” he added.
Why Nigeria Is Considering State Police
The proposed establishment of state police forms part of broader efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s security architecture amid persistent killings, kidnappings and other violent crimes across the country.
Under the existing arrangement, the Nigeria Police Force operates primarily as a centrally administered institution, with policing responsibilities largely controlled by the Federal Government.
Proponents of state police argue that allowing individual states to establish their own police services would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing, reduce response times and enhance accountability.
However, the proposal has also generated concerns about the potential abuse of state-controlled security institutions by governors and other political office holders, particularly against political opponents.
Addressing these concerns, Bamidele said the proposed reform would operate within clearly defined constitutional safeguards, oversight mechanisms and human rights protections.
He stressed that the objective was not to create state armies or weaken the Federal Government but to establish state-led, community-anchored policing arrangements under defined constitutional and operational standards.
The Senate Leader described the development as a breakthrough following more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to establish state police through constitutional amendments.
“What this means is that state police is no longer a campaign promise or a subject of endless debate. It is now a constitutional reality. It means that the security of lives, private property and public assets occupies a prime place in the legislative agenda of the 10th National Assembly,” he said.
Bamidele also commended Senate President Godswill Akpabio for supporting the proposed reform, assuring Nigerians that the National Assembly would complete the legislative process.
He said the 10th National Assembly remained committed to ensuring that Nigerians across the country could enjoy improved security.
Bamidele Lists Major Laws Passed by 10th National Assembly
Beyond the proposed state police legislation, Bamidele highlighted several laws passed by the 10th National Assembly, covering education, economic development, taxation, electoral reforms and institutional strengthening.
Among the legislations he listed were the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025; and the National Social Investment Programme Act.
Others include the Electoral Act, 2026, the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2024, and the Regional Development Commissions Acts.
He said the legislative interventions reflected efforts to address emerging national challenges, strengthen public institutions and improve governance.
The Senate Leader, however, maintained that the effectiveness of the legislature should not be measured solely by the number of bills passed but by the practical impact of its laws on citizens.
He stressed that legislation must be relevant, evidence-based, implementable, adequately funded and properly monitored to deliver meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
Bamidele also called for stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies to improve legislative foresight and policy development.
According to him, effective governance requires more than the passage of laws, noting that implementation, funding, monitoring and periodic reviews are equally important.
“Good governance requires good laws. But good laws alone do not guarantee good governance.
“We require laws that are relevant, evidence-based, implementable, adequately funded, properly administered, effectively monitored, periodically reviewed and ultimately measured by their impact on citizens,” he stated.
