Police reform has recorded a major victory as 24 State Houses of Assembly approve Nigeria’s 2026 constitutional amendment for a dual policing system, meeting the required two-thirds threshold.
Nigeria’s proposed state police reform has recorded a significant breakthrough following the approval of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional requirement for advancing the proposed dual policing system.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced the development in a statement on Friday, October 23, 2026, describing the approvals as a major step towards restructuring Nigeria’s policing framework.
The 24 approvals represent the constitutionally required two-thirds majority of the country’s 36 states, clearing a critical hurdle for the proposed amendment.
The Working Group commended the State Houses of Assembly for their decisive action on the reform, which is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture. It also acknowledged the National Assembly for passing the constitutional amendment in both chambers.
According to the statement, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent, in line with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The approval provides the constitutional foundation for the proposed dual policing system, which the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026, is designed to implement.
The development marks an important stage in efforts to establish a policing framework that could enable federal and state-level policing structures to operate within a constitutionally defined system.
The Working Group said its work remains on schedule, with the draft bills currently undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The documents are expected to be returned to the Group on or before Friday, October 30, 2026, for final consideration before presentation to President Tinubu.
The Presidential Working Group urged relevant stakeholders to support a smooth transition to the proposed dual policing system, stressing the importance of making Nigerians safer.
The statement was signed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.
The latest development moves Nigeria’s proposed state police reform closer to the next stage of the constitutional process, although the amendment must still complete the required legislative and presidential assent procedures before it can take effect.
The proposed reform is expected to shape ongoing discussions about policing, public safety and the responsibilities of different levels of government in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
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