At a big meeting on Thursday, December 12, 2024, the National Economic Council (NEC), led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, saw 36 state governors join together to support the creation of state police. The governors discussed how having state police could help tackle insecurity problems in their areas.
The meeting was held to review suggestions from different states about how to move forward with setting up state police across Nigeria. Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State, shared the news after the meeting with reporters, saying, “Today, about 35 states have already made their submission for establishing state police in Nigeria.”
He explained that many governors believe state police could help deal with specific security problems each state faces, noting that different states have different challenges. “Virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria,” Uba Sani said.
The discussion was put on hold for now, with a final decision expected in January 2025. The reason for the delay, Uba Sani explained, was that the NEC needs more time to review all the suggestions and discuss them in detail before making a decision.
Earlier, at a similar meeting in November, three states—Kwara, Kebbi, and Adamawa—had yet to submit their recommendations, but now 35 states are on board. The governors agreed that security issues, like a lack of enough police officers, are a big concern across the country. “We have a lot of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria, and we need more boots on the ground to improve safety,” Uba Sani said.
He emphasized that state police would play a key role in making Nigeria safer, as it would allow each state to better handle its unique security needs.
The governors plan to meet again in January 2025 to finalize their discussions and take action.
