State governors in Nigeria are pushing for expanded constitutional powers over security operations within their states, alongside guaranteed funding mechanisms for the proposed State Police Services, a report from a high-level strategic meeting has revealed.
The meeting, convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat in Abuja last week, brought together state Attorneys-General, legal experts, and senior security officials to harmonise proposals for the establishment of state police across the country.
According to the report, obtained by The PUNCH through the NGF bulletin, participants discussed a comprehensive constitutional and institutional framework for State Police Services, covering operational authority, funding arrangements, personnel management, oversight mechanisms, and the relationship between federal and state policing structures.
A key recommendation from the meeting was the need for stronger constitutional recognition of governors’ roles in coordinating security operations within their respective states.
The report noted that stakeholders reviewed legislative provisions currently under consideration, with particular focus on measures that would grant governors greater authority in security-related matters while ensuring effective collaboration between federal and state security institutions.
