Senate President Godswill Akpabio has expressed optimism that Nigeria could introduce state police within a month, saying about 30 state Houses of Assembly have approved the constitutional amendment required to decentralise policing.
Akpabio spoke on Wednesday when he received members of the Arewa Revival Project, a northern youth group led by its coordinator, Mustafa Ibrahim, who visited his office to present him with an award in recognition of his contributions to nation-building.
He said the reported endorsements by the state legislatures could accelerate efforts to establish state-controlled police structures to complement the existing federal police system.
“As I speak with you now, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, it may not take us a month before we have a State Police system, decentralised policing in the country, because about 30 states have endorsed the amendment to the Nigerian constitution to bring about a State Police system, which will further increase the security of the nation,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President expressed confidence that the proposed reform would strengthen the country's security architecture and improve its capacity to tackle persistent insecurity.
He also assured Nigerians that the country would eventually overcome its security challenges.
“I always tell them that the devil that you see today, you will soon see them no more. Very soon, we shall overcome the insecurity that we face today. So feel confident as you go round campaigning,” he added.
The establishment of state police has remained a major issue in Nigeria's constitutional and security reform debates, particularly amid rising concerns over the capacity of the centralised policing system to address security threats across the country's diverse regions.
Proponents of decentralised policing argue that state governments would be better positioned to respond to local security challenges and deploy personnel according to the needs of their communities.
However, introducing state police requires the completion of the relevant constitutional amendment process, including the necessary approvals by state legislatures and other constitutionally prescribed steps.
Akpabio's projection of a possible one-month timeline signals optimism about the reform process, although his remarks do not amount to a formal confirmation that state police will become operational within that period.
Beyond security, the Senate President used the meeting to canvass support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging members of the Arewa Revival Project to mobilise young people in support of the administration.
He maintained that Tinubu's policies were intended to stabilise the economy and secure Nigeria's long-term future, despite the criticism the government has faced.
Akpabio also alleged that some people attacking the President and his supporters on social media were being paid to do so, while those defending the administration were not receiving similar financial incentives.
“Whatever we are doing today, we are doing it to stabilise your future and ensure the survival of Nigeria. So it is good that you are seeing it,” he said.
“It is not going to be easy for you because most of those who are attacking the President and attacking these young men on social media are being paid. You are not being paid.”
The Senate President further defended the administration's economic reforms, particularly its tax policies, arguing that they were part of efforts to reduce Nigeria's dependence on crude oil revenue.
According to him, the government is introducing changes aimed at diversifying the economy and modernising outdated laws.
“I expect the Nigerian youth to rise above social media propaganda because this President has managed to take us out of a mono-economy, an economy that was dependent only on crude oil,” Akpabio said.
“He has brought innovations to bear through the tax reform system, through tinkering with anachronistic laws.”
Nigeria's proposed state police system is expected to remain a key issue in discussions on constitutional reform and national security, as lawmakers consider changes intended to improve policing and address the country's persistent security challenges.
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