Nigeria Intensifies Constitutional Reform Drive; Seeks Global Partnership for Policing Overhaul

ABUJA — The Nigerian National Assembly is accelerating its comprehensive constitutional review process, with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, rallying international support to solidify a robust democratic framework.

Speaking at a reception hosted by the Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, in Abuja, Kalu highlighted that the current legislative agenda includes 45 Constitution Alteration Bills. These reforms aim to address critical national issues, ranging from judicial independence and electoral transparency to gender inclusion and local government autonomy.

Addressing Security Through Policing Reform

A central pillar of the ongoing reforms is the transition to a dual policing structure, which would permit states to establish their own police services alongside the federal force.

Addressing long-standing concerns regarding the potential for political misuse of state-controlled security agencies, Kalu asserted that the proposed legislation is built on “architecture” rather than mere assurances. “Our objective is not simply to decentralise policing; it is to constitutionalise accountability,” Kalu stated, noting that the bill incorporates strict guardrails, including independent oversight, professional recruitment standards, and coordinated command structures.

Complementing legislative efforts, President Bola Tinubu recently inaugurated a Presidential Working Group, chaired by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, to draft a “National Policing Bill”. This bill is designed to operationalize the constitutional framework by establishing minimum standards, federal-state coordination protocols, and human rights safeguards.

A Critical Phase for Legislative Ratification

The reform bills have successfully passed through both chambers of the National Assembly. The process has now entered its most decisive stage, requiring ratification by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly before they can be transmitted to the President for final assent.

In his appeal to the EU Heads of Mission, Kalu emphasized the importance of international partnership during this period. He solicited technical cooperation and comparative expertise, framing the constitutional review as a vital step toward deepening Nigeria’s democracy.

“The measure of constitutional reform is not the number of clauses amended; it is the number of lives improved because those clauses were amended,” Kalu remarked. The reform agenda also notably includes the “Reserved Seats for Women” bill, which seeks to address gender inequities in governance, and citizenship reforms that would introduce “citizenship by investment” to foster economic growth.