According to a report by Punch on Friday, June 26, 2026, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the National Assembly is developing a funding framework for the proposed state police, assuring Nigerians that financing will not become an obstacle to its establishment if the constitutional amendment is eventually approved.
Kalu made the remarks on Friday while briefing journalists in Abuja after returning from a week-long engagement at Chatham House and the London Climate Action Week in the United Kingdom.
According to him, lawmakers are already considering practical financial arrangements that will support the effective operation of state police across the country.
His comments come amid growing concerns about the financial capacity of individual states to establish and sustain separate police formations under the proposed decentralised policing system.
Questions have been raised regarding whether all states possess sufficient financial resources to recruit personnel, provide equipment, maintain operational logistics and meet the recurring costs associated with running independent police services.
The concerns have formed part of the wider national debate surrounding the constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police as an additional security structure alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
Addressing the funding concerns, Kalu said the National Assembly has already begun working on mechanisms that will ensure the proposed policing system remains financially sustainable.
According to him, legislators understand the importance of creating a framework that guarantees adequate and reliable funding for state police without placing excessive financial pressure on state governments.
He explained that discussions within the National Assembly are focused on designing a funding structure capable of supporting long-term operations while ensuring that the new policing arrangement functions effectively if implemented.
The Deputy Speaker explained that the establishment of state police would involve transferring certain security responsibilities currently handled by the Federal Government to state governments.
He noted that because states would assume additional responsibilities under the proposed arrangement, lawmakers are carefully examining how funding obligations should be shared to ensure that security operations are not disrupted.
According to Kalu, the financial framework being developed is intended to reflect the expanded role that state governments would play in maintaining law and order within their respective jurisdictions.
Kalu further assured Nigerians that lawmakers remain committed to addressing all major issues associated with the proposed constitutional amendment before it is fully implemented.
He maintained that funding remains one of the critical aspects receiving serious attention because the success of any decentralised policing system depends on adequate financial support.
According to him, the National Assembly is determined to ensure that the proposed state police structure is supported by sustainable funding arrangements that will enable states to discharge their new security responsibilities effectively while complementing the efforts of the Federal Government in tackling insecurity.
He said, “We are looking at how to make sure that funding will not be a problem with regard to state policing because, as you know, it is like taking some of the responsibility of the Federal Government for the states to handle.”