Nigeria’s long-running push to establish state police is facing a major hurdle, with only four of the 36 state Houses of Assembly having so far approved the constitutional amendment required to create state police services.
The four states that have approved the proposal are Edo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers.
The National Assembly transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to all 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, giving them an administrative 30-day period to consider the proposal and communicate their decisions.
However, the constitutional amendment cannot proceed with just four approvals. At least 24 state Houses of Assembly, representing two-thirds of the 36 states, must approve the proposal before it can move to the next stage.
This means the bill still needs the backing of 20 additional states.
The proposed amendment is designed to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment and operation of state police services, giving states greater responsibility for policing and local security while retaining the Nigeria Police Force at the federal level.
Supporters of state police argue that decentralising policing could improve intelligence gathering and allow security agencies to respond more quickly to crimes and threats within local communities.
However, several state assemblies are still studying the proposal, consulting stakeholders or yet to begin formal consideration. Some assemblies have also reported that they are yet to receive the bill from the National Assembly.
With only four states having approved the bill so far, the proposed state police system still has a significant constitutional hurdle to cross before it can become law.
