Nigeria: Making the State Police Work

What the report says

Premium Times, in an editorial published on 9 November 2026 and carried by AllAfrica, argues that Nigeria has reached a turning point on state police after 30 state Houses of Assembly approved the idea, surpassing the constitutional threshold needed to move the proposal forward. The piece says the National Assembly can now proceed with amending Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution, which currently limits policing to the Nigeria Police Force. It presents the reform as a response to years of worsening insecurity and the perceived limits of a centralized policing system.

The editorial cites kidnappings, mass killings and terrorism as evidence that the current model is failing, especially in parts of the North-East, North-Central and North-West. It says state police could improve intelligence gathering, community protection and response times if they are properly designed, trained and funded. It also stresses that state police should not become armed political tools or poorly supervised local militias.

Premium Times says key safeguards would include independent state police councils, clear legal limits, strong recruitment standards and dedicated funding. It also argues that state governments already contribute heavily to policing and could redirect security spending more effectively. Beyond security, the editorial says stronger local policing could help create safer conditions for investment, tourism and broader economic growth, while reducing the need for negotiations with bandits or insurgents.