36 State Governors Declare Position On State Police

Governors of the thirty-six states in Nigeria, have declared their support for the establishment of State Police in the country.

The Governors, operating under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), made their stance known in a communiqué signed by NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

NEWSNGR reports that the decision was taken at the NGF meeting in Abuja, which lasted from Wednesday to early Thursday.

According to the Governors, the move must be constitutionally sound and align with federalism and citizens’ rights.

The communique disclosed that the Governors took the decision after they received a presentation from the Forum’s secretariat and a delegation of the Honourable Attorneys-General of the States on efforts to support establishing state police in Nigeria.

According to the governors, they noted a dedicated consultation with the attorneys-general to review the proposed constitutional amendments and frameworks.

“Governors emphasised the need for the State Police to be constitutionally sound and aligned with federalism and citizens’ rights.

“The Forum noted the collaborative effort and added that the consultation outcomes would strengthen the States’ collective position”, the statement said in part.

Recall that the bill for the establishment of State Police has been passed by the House of Representatives, and it has also scaled second reading at the Senate.

The governors have also reiterated their commitment to ongoing power sector reforms and to strengthening collaboration among stakeholders to expand access to reliable and affordable electricity for Nigerians.

According to the communiqué, the Forum received a presentation on the National Solar Super-Grid (NSSG) Initiative, a proposal to expand electricity access through large-scale decentralised solar generation integrated with a national high-voltage transmission network.

Against this backdrop, the governors noted the initiative’s potential to support industrialisation, improve energy security, strengthen state electricity markets, and accelerate economic growth.

The governors have also resolved to support the National Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative as they reaffirmed their commitment to improving nutrition outcomes and reducing child malnutrition across Nigeria, just as they also noted the ongoing work on the National Nutrition Bill and encouraged continued engagement with relevant stakeholders to strengthen the legal and policy framework for nutrition governance.