The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for Nigerians and other stakeholders to submit memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026.
Politics Nigeria learnt that the submissions, which were initially scheduled to close at 5pm on Thursday, August 13, will now remain open until 5pm West Africa Time on the new deadline.
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the extension in a statement issued on Thursday.
Gbajabiamila explained that the decision was taken to give individuals, institutions and organisations more time to make substantive contributions to the proposed policing reforms.
“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” he said.
The proposed bill is expected to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework for an effective policing architecture capable of responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
It is also designed to strengthen accountability and professionalism in policing while providing safeguards for citizens’ rights.
According to Gbajabiamila, the significance of the proposed reforms to Nigeria’s internal security makes broad stakeholder participation essential.
He urged legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and other interested members of the public to use the extended period to submit their memoranda and position papers.
All submissions are to be made exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal before the new deadline.
Gbajabiamila said stakeholders should pay particular attention to critical areas including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.
“These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the federation,” he added.
The Working Group said it would, at the end of its assignment, produce a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.
It also expressed appreciation to stakeholders who had already submitted memoranda, while encouraging others who intend to participate in the process to take advantage of the extension.
The National Policing Bill portal was launched on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila announced the public consultation process during a press briefing on the proposed policing reforms.
The Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.
On Wednesday, Gbajabiamila clarified that the passage of the constitutional amendment and the National Policing Bill would not automatically result in the creation of state police across the country.
“Each state that chooses to establish a service will still need its own enabling law, institutions and funding. It must also meet the national conditions for operation before its officers can begin policing,” he said.
Gbajabiamila added that states that were not ready to establish their own police services would continue.
