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 to August 21, 2026.
The Working Group said the extension was to give Nigerians and other stakeholders more time to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the proposed framework for the country’s policing architecture. NigerianBusiness News
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the extension in a statement on Thursday, saying submissions would now close at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time on Friday, August 21.
According to the statement, the additional period will allow interested individuals, institutions and organisations to adequately prepare well-considered submissions on the proposed legislation.
The Working Group said the National Policing Bill would provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework required for an effective policing system capable of responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
It added that the framework would incorporate safeguards to promote accountability and professionalism and protect citizens’ rights.
“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders”, the statement said. NigerianBusiness News
It explained that the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security informed the decision to provide stakeholders with additional time to participate in the process.
Legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and members of the public were consequently urged to take advantage of the extension to submit their memoranda and position papers.
The Working Group identified sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination and accountability mechanisms among the major issues requiring careful consideration in designing the new policing framework.
It said safeguards against political interference and abuse would also constitute a critical part of the proposed architecture.
According to the Group, extensive stakeholder participation is necessary to produce a policing system that is effective, accountable and sustainable while responding to the peculiar security requirements of communities across the country.
“The Working Group recognises 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.
“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”, the statement said.
All memoranda and position papers are to be submitted exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before the new deadline of 5:00 p.m. on August 21.
The Working Group said that at the conclusion of its assignment, it would present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.
It thanked individuals and organisations that had already submitted their contributions and urged other stakeholders interested in the policing reform process to use the extended window to participate.
“The Presidential Working Group appreciates stakeholders who have already made submissions and encourages others intending to participate in this important national process to take advantage of the extension”, Gbajabiamila said
