The Nigeria Police Force has declared its readiness to support the implementation of state police if approved, affirming that professionalism, accountability and operational excellence will remain central to any new policing framework.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun gave the assurance while opening a one-day sensitisation workshop on state police organised by the Nigeria Institute of Police Studies. The workshop was designed to equip officers with the knowledge and capacity to participate constructively in discussions on state police and to adapt effectively to future policing reforms.
Egbetokun urged participants to maximise the opportunity and cascade the knowledge gained to officers in their respective commands and formations, ensuring a shared understanding of the proposed reform across the force.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Nigeria Institute of Police Studies, Professor Olu Ogunshakin, commended the Inspector-General for establishing the Nigeria Police Force Steering Committee on State Police. He noted that a number of the committee’s recommendations have been incorporated into the proposed State Police Bill, describing the development as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s policing reform agenda.
The sensitisation workshop forms part of the force’s broader efforts to position its personnel for emerging reforms while strengthening operational efficiency and sustaining public confidence in policing. The proposed legislation, if passed, would mark a structural shift in Nigeria’s security architecture, decentralising policing powers to state governments. Stakeholders continue to engage on the framework’s operational details, funding mechanisms and oversight provisions to ensure alignment with national security objectives.