President Bola Tinubu has urged the National Assembly to initiate constitutional amendments that would provide legal backing for the creation of state-level police forces, describing the move as essential to tackling Nigeria’s deepening security challenges.

Speaking during an interfaith breaking-of-fast event with senators at the Presidential Villa in Nigeria, Tinubu said decentralizing policing would enable faster and more effective responses to terrorism, banditry, and insurgency at the local level.

“Nigeria is extremely challenged,” the president said, arguing that state police structures would help secure remote communities, curb criminal activity, and “free our children from fear.”

The proposed reform would require amendments to the 1999 Constitution, including approval by two-thirds of both chambers of the legislature and ratification by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies; a complex and politically demanding process.

Tinubu also highlighted broader economic reforms under his administration, citing fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange liberalization as measures he said have improved economic stability.

Responding to the proposal, Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed the call and pledged continued collaboration between the executive and the Senate, stressing the need for unity in confronting the country’s security and governance challenges.