National Policing Bill Gets New Submission Deadline

(Femi Gbajabiamila. Photo by Guardian Nigeria News)

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has postponed the submission deadline for memoranda and position papers to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time.

Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff and head of the Working Group, announced the extension to allow individuals, institutions and organisations greater time to offer substantive input on the draft legislation.

The Working Group emphasised its commitment to broad stakeholder participation and drawing on informed contributions from across Nigeria.

The proposed bill seeks to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding infrastructure for a policing system capable of addressing the country’s contemporary security challenges while embedding accountability safeguards, professional standards and citizen rights protections.

Stakeholders including lawyers, civil society groups, security sector practitioners, state administrations, professional associations, scholars and the general public are invited to submit contributions via the dedicated portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, before the revised deadline.

The extension recognises the complexity of crafting an effective policing framework, which demands careful attention to sustainable financing mechanisms, hierarchy and oversight structures, hiring and professional development requirements, operational scope, coordination among security agencies, checks on misconduct and protections against political manipulation.

The Working Group stressed that robust engagement from diverse stakeholders is essential to produce a framework that is both functionally effective and tailored to the security realities of communities throughout the country.

Upon completion, the Group will deliver an implementation-ready bill draft to President Bola Tinubu for consideration on September 3, 2026, before advancing to the legislature.

The consultation portal launched on August 3, when Gbajabiamila initially announced the review period.

Existing submissions have been acknowledged, and the Working Group has invited further participation within the extended window.