The Steering Committee on state policing, led by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, has defended the proposed five year rollout plan, insisting it represents the most realistic pathway to restructuring Nigeria’s policing architecture without exposing the country to security risks.
Details of the 60 month implementation framework were contained in a comprehensive report submitted to the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, following the committee’s inauguration on March 4.
The panel said the timeline was carefully calibrated to reflect the scale of legal reforms, personnel redistribution, institutional development and training required to transition from a centralised to a decentralised policing system.
Amid criticisms that the proposed duration may slow down reform, the committee clarified that its recommendation is in fact shorter than the 71 month transition earlier canvassed by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
It stressed that the five year window is the minimum practical period needed to redeploy over 200,000 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory while maintaining uninterrupted federal policing operations.
According to the report, the transition would unfold in five carefully sequenced phases, beginning with preparatory activities and progressing through application processing, personnel transfers, restructuring of federal formations and final consolidation.
The committee warned that each phase is interdependent, noting that any attempt to compress the timeline could destabilise institutions and weaken coordination across the national security framework.
It explained that the first phase alone would require far reaching constitutional and legislative actions, including amendments to Sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution, passage of a State Police Act by the National Assembly and enactment of enabling laws by all states and the FCT.
Beyond legal reforms, the panel said each state must build its policing system from the ground up, covering recruitment processes, community policing structures at local government level, custody facilities, forensic laboratories and modern digital infrastructure.
It also proposed the creation of a National Police Standards Board with inspection oversight across six zonal offices to ensure uniformity, professionalism and accountability across emerging state police services.
The committee acknowledged the heavy financial implications of the reform, noting that costs would need to be distributed over several years to guarantee sustainability and operational efficiency.
On personnel matters, the report indicated that redeployment would be voluntary, supported by structured career guidance, while pensions and service benefits would remain fully protected throughout the transition.
Special provisions, it added, would be made for officers nearing retirement, those on medical grounds, personnel deployed in conflict zones and female officers requiring additional welfare considerations.
Simultaneously, new recruitment into state police formations would run alongside transfers from the federal force, with structured training programmes and phased deployment tied to professional certification milestones.
The final stages of the transition would see the integration of national policing databases, including a central criminal records system, an intelligence portal and an upgraded fingerprint identification system, alongside a nationwide performance review to refine the legal and operational framework.
The committee maintained that the proposed 60 month plan offers a balanced and secure route to state policing, preserving national cohesion while laying the foundation for a more responsive and locally driven security system.