President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that he assured both the United States and the European Union of his administration’s commitment to establishing a state policing system in Nigeria. This move, he said, is part of efforts to strengthen security and improve law enforcement across the country.
Speaking during a high-level engagement at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu said the current centralized policing structure is overstretched and no longer sufficient to tackle Nigeria’s complex security challenges. According to him, state police will help address insecurity more effectively by allowing states to handle local threats with local solutions.
The President noted that during his recent meetings with foreign envoys and development partners, he emphasized Nigeria’s willingness to adopt practical security reforms, including decentralization of the police. “I told them that we are working to implement state policing, not just as a campaign promise, but as a strategic necessity,” he stated.
Tinubu also assured Nigerians that the government is consulting widely with stakeholders, including governors, lawmakers, and security experts, to ensure that the proposed state police system is well-structured and constitutionally backed.
The push for state police has gained momentum in recent years due to rising insecurity across many parts of the country. Critics of the current system argue that central control limits the ability of local authorities to respond swiftly to threats.
Tinubu reaffirmed that his administration is focused on delivering a secure environment for all Nigerians, and that building a state police framework is a key part of that agenda.
