The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation by eight days, with submissions now closing at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time (WAT) on Friday, August 21, 2026.
In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, the extension is intended to give stakeholders additional time for thorough preparation and ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make well-considered contributions to the proposed legislation.
Gbajabiamila highlighted that, as a sequel to the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important to provide stakeholders with more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process.
He noted that all submissions must now be made on or before 5:00 p.m. WAT on Friday, August 21, 2026, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal.
The Presidential Working Group said it is committed to ensuring that the development of the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders.
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The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs, while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.
Accordingly, legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of the extended period to submit their memoranda and position papers.
The Working Group noted that developing an effective policing framework requires careful consideration of critical issues, 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.
It said 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.
At the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onwards legislative processing.
The Working Group appreciated stakeholders who have already made submissions and encouraged others intending to participate in the national process to take advantage of the extension.
