By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for Nigerians and other stakeholders to submit memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation.
The new deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026, giving stakeholders an additional eight days beyond the initial August 13 deadline.
Chairman of the Working Group and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the extension on Thursday, saying it was intended to give participants more time to prepare detailed contributions to the proposed policing reforms.
Gbajabiamila said the extension would enable interested individuals, institutions and organisations to make well-considered submissions to the process.
He said the government was committed to ensuring that the development of the National Policing Bill reflected a broad range of perspectives.
“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,” he said.
The proposed legislation is expected to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework for Nigeria’s policing system, while strengthening accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.
The Working Group urged legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and other interested members of the public to take advantage of the extended deadline to submit their views.
Gbajabiamila said the reform required careful consideration of critical issues, including funding, command and control structures, recruitment, training, operational jurisdiction and inter-agency cooperation.
“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,” he said.
He added that these issues underscored the need for extensive stakeholder engagement to develop a policing framework that would be effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the security needs of communities across the country.
“All memoranda and position papers are to be submitted exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal before the new deadline,” the Working Group said.
At the conclusion of its assignment, the Working Group is expected to submit a final and implementable draft of the National Policing Bill for legislative consideration.