State governors are seeking greater constitutional authority over security operations within their domains and guaranteed funding arrangements for the proposed State Police Services, according to a report of a high-level strategic meeting involving state Attorneys-General, legal experts and senior security officials convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat in Abuja last week.
The report, contained in the NGF bulletin obtained provides one of the clearest frameworks yet for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, detailing proposals on operational powers, funding mechanisms, personnel management, oversight structures, and the relationship between federal and state policing institutions.
According to the report, the meeting was convened to harmonise proposals for a constitutional and institutional framework for the establishment of State Police Services across the country.
The report described the deliberations as “a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture through a decentralised policing system that balances local security needs with constitutional safeguards and national cohesion.”
The latest push comes amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity across several parts of the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts and violent crimes, which have continued to test the capacity of Nigeria’s centrally controlled policing structure.
A major outcome of the meeting was the proposal for greater constitutional recognition of governors’ roles in coordinating security operations within their states.
According to the report, participants reviewed legislative provisions currently under consideration, particularly those relating to governors’ authority in security matters.
