Governors Give Nod To State Police, As AGs Submit Constitutional Framework

Governors of Nigeria’s 36 states rose from their meeting early Thursday, with a resolve to endorse the establishment of state police, marking a significant step in the ongoing efforts to reform the country’s security architecture.  

The resolution was among those agreed upon at meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja, which extended from Wednesday into the early hours of Thursday.

 The position was contained in a communiqué signed by the Forum’s Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

According to report, the governors adopted the position after receiving presentations from the NGF Secretariat and a delegation of state Attorneys-General on the progress made toward creating a constitutional framework for state policing. 

The governors emphasized that any state police structure must be firmly rooted in the Constitution and operate in accordance with the principles of federalism, while safeguarding the rights and freedoms of citizens. 

They also highlighted the importance of extensive consultations with the Attorneys-General to review proposed constitutional amendments and implementation frameworks.

The communiqué noted that the collaborative engagement would reinforce the collective position of the states and contribute to the development of a legally sound and effective state policing system.

The endorsement comes as the bill seeking the establishment of state police continues to gain legislative momentum, having already secured passage in the House of Representatives and advanced through its second reading in the Senate.

Beyond security, the governors reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing reforms in the power sector and pledged to strengthen partnerships aimed at expanding access to reliable and affordable electricity across the country.

The Forum also received a presentation on the National Solar Super-Grid (NSSG) Initiative, a proposal designed to improve electricity access through large-scale decentralized solar energy generation integrated into a national high-voltage transmission network.