The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for stakeholders to submit memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026.
The extension was announced in a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday.
According to Gbajabiamila, the decision was taken to give interested individuals, institutions and organisations more time to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the proposed legislation.
“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.
The proposed bill is expected to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework for a more effective policing system capable of responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
It is also designed to strengthen accountability and professionalism while providing safeguards for the protection of citizens’ rights.
Gbajabiamila said the extension was particularly important given the significance of the proposed reforms to policing and internal security in Nigeria.
He urged legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and other interested members of the public to use the extended period to submit their views.
All submissions are to be made exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before the new deadline.
The Working Group said contributions should address critical areas of policing reform, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination and accountability mechanisms.
It also highlighted the need for safeguards against political interference and abuse, stressing that these issues require broad stakeholder engagement before a final framework is developed.
According to Gbajabiamila, the objective is to produce a policing structure that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the security needs of communities across the country.
At the end of its assignment, the Working Group is expected to submit a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.
The group expressed appreciation to stakeholders who had already submitted memoranda and encouraged others who intend to participate to take advantage of the additional time.
The National Policing Bill portal was launched on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila announced the public consultation during a press briefing on the proposed policing reforms.
The initial deadline had been set for roughly two weeks after the consultation opened.
The Presidential Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.
