Cost of State Policing in Nigeria

In February 2024, during a meeting between Nigeria's President, Bola Tinubu and the Governors of Nigeria’s 36 states, a consensus was reached that the country needs state police to address its insecurity challenges effectively1. This resolution was the first time that the federal and state governments in the country agreed on the debate to decentralise the country’s police structure. Yet, at that moment, as it remains today, it is clear that achieving a police structure in the country, one that gives each state significant control over law enforcement and the protection of its residents, remains a long and challenging journey ahead.