Presidency seeks private sector funding for state police

The Presidency has urged the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to develop a financing and implementation plan for the proposed state police system.

The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, made the call during a session on “Security, Stability and Economic Resilience” at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila challenged the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), chambers of commerce and business associations to propose practical ways to finance and manage state police, with measures to ensure accountability.

He said businesses had a stake in the success of the reform, noting that insecurity had led to abandoned investments, delayed factory expansions and lost economic opportunities.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to establishing state police provided an opportunity for businesses to help build security institutions that could support economic growth.

He urged the NESG to take the discussions beyond the summit and engage state governments and lawmakers on financing and implementing the proposed system.

“Bring forward a considered private sector contribution on financing and implementing state police, with practical proposals for accountable partnerships,” he said.

He, however, warned that private sector involvement must be transparent and should not compromise the independence of the police.

The Chief of Staff said states seeking to establish their own police services must demonstrate their ability to meet the financial obligations of running them.

He said providing vehicles, uniforms and other equipment at the start would not be enough without sustainable funding for salaries, training and maintenance.

He warned that failure to pay officers regularly could expose them to pressure from private interests and unlawful demands.

Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that federal police would continue to operate in states that were not financially or institutionally ready to establish their own services.

On concerns that state police could be used against political opponents, he said the proposed legislation would provide safeguards, national professional standards and independent oversight.