STATE POLICE: How Tinubu Is Restructuring Nigeria Without a National Conference

For decades, restructuring has remained one of the most debated issues in Nigeria’s political history.

Successive administrations convened committees, organized constitutional conferences, and sponsored national dialogues aimed at addressing the country’s complex governance challenges.

Yet, despite widespread agreement among political stakeholders that Nigeria required significant reforms, many of the recommendations from those conferences never translated into concrete action.

Since assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has adopted a different approach. Rather than convening another national conference, his administration has pursued what supporters describe as “practical restructuring” through constitutional amendments, fiscal reforms, energy sector liberalization, local government autonomy, tax reforms, and institutional changes.

The cumulative effect of these policies, analysts argue, is gradually redefining the relationship between the federal government, states, and local governments in ways that previous administrations only discussed.

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State Police: A Historic Shift in Security Governance

Perhaps the most far-reaching of these reforms is the push for state police.

Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, calls for decentralizing policing powers have grown louder. Governors, security experts, traditional rulers, and constitutional scholars repeatedly argued that a centralized police system was inadequate for a country of over 200 million people with diverse security challenges.

Under the existing arrangement, state governors are constitutionally designated as chief security officers of their states but possess little direct control over police operations. This contradiction has long frustrated many state governments, particularly in regions facing banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and communal conflicts.

Previous administrations acknowledged the need for reform but hesitated to implement state policing due to fears that governors could misuse state-controlled security agencies against political opponents.

That long-standing debate reached a significant milestone on June 24, 2026, when the Senate passed a constitutional amendment bill establishing state police with built-in safeguards against abuse.

The proposed framework introduces a dual-policing structure in which states can establish and manage their own police services while the Nigeria Police Force retains responsibility for national security, interstate crimes, terrorism, and federal law enforcement duties.

Supporters view the development as the most significant devolution of security powers since Nigeria’s democratic transition in 1999. They argue that local policing will improve intelligence gathering, enhance rapid response capabilities, and provide communities with security structures better suited to local realities.

If fully implemented, state police could fundamentally alter Nigeria’s security architecture and become one of the most consequential governance reforms in modern Nigerian history.

Local Government Autonomy Gains Momentum

Another major restructuring initiative has centered on local government administration.

For years, local governments complained that constitutional guarantees of autonomy existed largely on paper. Through the State Joint Local Government Account system, governors exercised considerable influence over council finances, often determining how funds allocated to local governments were spent.

Critics argued that the arrangement weakened grassroots governance, reduced accountability, and deprived communities of essential development projects.

Under the Tinubu administration, the Federal Government supported legal and institutional measures aimed at strengthening local government autonomy.

The reforms seek to ensure that allocations intended for local councils reach them directly rather than being subjected to extensive state-level controls.

Advocates believe the changes could improve service delivery in critical areas such as primary healthcare, rural roads, basic education, sanitation, and community development.

However, observers note that implementation remains a challenge.

While legal victories have strengthened the autonomy framework, questions remain about whether state governments will fully comply with the new arrangements.

Many analysts argue that the success of local government autonomy will ultimately depend on citizen engagement, transparency mechanisms, and effective monitoring of public funds.

Overhauling Nigeria’s Tax Structure

One of the administration’s most ambitious economic reforms has been the comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria’s tax system.

For decades, businesses complained about multiple taxation, overlapping tax authorities, inconsistent regulations, and complex compliance requirements.

Investors frequently identified tax administration challenges as a major obstacle to doing business in Nigeria.

In response, the government introduced sweeping reforms culminating in the signing of four major tax laws in 2025:

* Nigeria Tax Act
* Nigeria Tax Administration Act
* Nigeria Revenue Service Act
* Joint Revenue Board Act

Together, these laws aim to simplify tax administration, harmonize collection procedures, reduce duplication, and improve coordination among revenue-generating agencies.

The reforms also introduced broader tax exemptions for small businesses with annual turnovers of up to ₦100 million, a move designed to support entrepreneurship and encourage business growth.

Economic analysts describe the changes as a form of fiscal restructuring that strengthens economic efficiency without altering the country’s constitutional framework.

By streamlining tax collection and reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, the reforms seek to create a more competitive business environment capable of attracting both domestic and foreign investment.

Reforming Oil Revenue Management

Nigeria’s dependence on oil revenues has long made the management of petroleum earnings a politically sensitive issue.

For years, critics argued that substantial portions of oil and gas revenues were deducted through various retention arrangements before reaching the Federation Account.

Questions surrounding transparency and revenue remittance frequently generated controversy between federal agencies, state governments, and civil society organizations.

In 2026, the Tinubu administration introduced new directives requiring all government oil and gas revenues to be remitted directly into the Federation Account.

The policy aims to improve transparency, strengthen accountability, and ensure that revenues generated from Nigeria’s most valuable natural resource are distributed according to constitutional provisions.

Supporters believe the reform will enhance public confidence in revenue management and reduce disputes surrounding resource allocation.

Although debates continue regarding implementation mechanisms, the move represents a significant shift in how petroleum revenues are administered.

Fuel Subsidy Removal: The Most Controversial Reform

No policy has generated more public debate than the removal of fuel subsidy.

For decades, successive governments acknowledged that fuel subsidies imposed enormous financial burdens on the treasury.

Yet attempts to eliminate them often faced resistance due to concerns about inflation, transportation costs, and public backlash.

Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan both attempted subsidy reforms but encountered significant opposition.

The Buhari administration repeatedly postponed complete removal.

President Tinubu took a different approach.

During his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, he announced that fuel subsidy was gone.

The decision immediately altered Nigeria’s economic landscape.

Petrol prices rose sharply, triggering inflationary pressures and increasing living costs for millions of Nigerians.

However, supporters argue that the policy ended a system that consumed trillions of naira annually while benefiting a relatively small segment of the population.

The removal freed significant financial resources that could be redirected toward infrastructure development, social investments, and increased allocations to state governments.

While many Nigerians continue to experience the economic consequences of the decision, economists view it as one of the boldest structural reforms undertaken in recent decades.

Decentralizing Electricity Supply

Another critical area of reform has been the power sector.

For decades, electricity generation, transmission, and distribution remained heavily centralized under federal oversight.

States had limited authority to develop independent power solutions despite chronic electricity shortages.

The Electricity Act changed that landscape by granting states greater powers to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity within their territories.

This reform effectively dismantled one of the most centralized aspects of Nigeria’s economy.

States now have the legal authority to establish independent electricity markets, issue licenses, attract investors, and develop localized power solutions.

Industry experts believe the decentralization could unlock billions of naira in private-sector investments and significantly improve electricity access across the country.

Several states have already begun exploring independent power projects as part of efforts to address energy deficits.

If successfully implemented, the reform could become one of the most transformative economic changes in Nigeria’s post-independence history.

Regional Development Commissions Expand

The administration has also expanded the concept of regional development commissions.

Historically, regional interventions were concentrated in specific areas such as the Niger Delta Development Commission and the North East Development Commission.

Recent initiatives have broadened the framework to include commissions serving:

* North West
* North East
* North Central
* South East
* South South
* South West

The objective is to provide region-specific development planning and targeted interventions that address local challenges.

Supporters argue that these commissions recognize Nigeria’s diverse developmental needs and reduce overreliance on centralized federal ministries.

By tailoring solutions to regional realities, policymakers hope to accelerate infrastructure development, economic growth, and social investment across the federation.

Rising State Revenues and Fiscal Federalism

One of the most noticeable consequences of recent reforms has been increased revenue allocations to states.

Following subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms, distributions from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) have risen significantly.

Many governors now receive substantially higher allocations than under previous administrations.

This development has strengthened arguments that states should take greater responsibility for development outcomes rather than relying exclusively on federal interventions.

Supporters of the reforms contend that increased allocations reduce the longstanding complaint that Abuja controls excessive resources while leaving states financially constrained.

However, critics argue that increased revenues must be matched by greater accountability and transparency.

Questions remain about how effectively state governments are utilizing the additional resources.

Restructuring Through Policy Rather Than Conference

What distinguishes the Tinubu approach from previous restructuring debates is its emphasis on implementation rather than dialogue.

For decades, national conferences generated extensive recommendations but often struggled to achieve legislative and constitutional follow-through.

The current administration’s strategy focuses on changing institutions, laws, and fiscal arrangements through executive action, legislative reforms, and constitutional amendments.

Whether one supports or opposes the administration, there is little doubt that significant structural changes are taking place across multiple sectors.

State policing, local government autonomy, electricity decentralization, tax modernization, oil revenue reforms, regional development commissions, and fiscal adjustments collectively represent some of the most extensive governance reforms since the return to democracy.

The ultimate success of these initiatives will depend not only on policy design but also on implementation, transparency, and public trust.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with security challenges, economic pressures, and governance concerns, the debate over restructuring is unlikely to disappear.

What may be changing, however, is the method.

Rather than waiting for another national conference, the country appears to be pursuing restructuring incrementally through legislation, institutional reform, and economic policy.

Whether these measures ultimately deliver the Nigeria envisioned by their proponents remains to be seen. But they have undeniably shifted the conversation from what restructuring should look like to how much restructuring is already taking place.