The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeking to provide constitutional backing for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, has secured the approval of 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
The development means the proposed constitutional amendment has met the two-thirds threshold required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for an alteration of the Constitution.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
The group, chaired by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the approval by the 24 state legislatures had cleared a major hurdle in the Federal Government’s plan to establish a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services. 
“The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill notes with satisfaction that the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system, has been approved by 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states,” the statement said.
The Working Group commended the state Houses of Assembly for approving the amendment and thanked the National Assembly for passing the bill in both chambers.
With the required number of state legislatures having endorsed the amendment, the bill can proceed to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process, including its return to the National Assembly and eventual transmission to the President for assent.
The proposed amendment is expected to provide the constitutional foundation for the National Policing Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a dual policing structure that would allow both federal and state authorities to maintain police services.
Under the proposed framework, states would have greater responsibility for policing and internal security at the grassroots, while the Federal Police Service would retain its national responsibilities.
The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader policing reforms aimed at strengthening security, improving police response and bringing law enforcement closer to communities.
The Working Group said work on the broader reform remained ongoing, with the draft National Policing Bill and related legislation undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
It said the bills were expected to be returned to the Working Group on or before October 30, 2026, after which they would undergo final consideration before being presented to President Tinubu.
The Working Group had on October 19 announced the completion of the drafting phase of its assignment and the submission of the draft National Policing Bill, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Ministry of Justice.
According to the group, the ministry’s review is intended to ensure that the proposed legislation conforms with legislative drafting standards and is consistent with existing laws.
The Working Group urged stakeholders to support the reform, saying the proposed transition to a dual policing system would strengthen security and make Nigerians safer.
