A nationwide survey conducted by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre has revealed that 70 per cent of Nigerians support the establishment of state police alongside the Federal Police.
The survey, carried out in November 2025, examined public awareness and perceptions of Nigeria’s ongoing Constitution Review process and identified priority areas where citizens are calling for constitutional amendments.
In a statement released on Friday, the Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, said the survey covered Nigerians aged 18 years and above across the six geopolitical zones, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that the exercise employed proportionate stratified random sampling drawn from the NOI Polls Numbers Database.
According to Nwankwo, interviews were conducted in English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin English to ensure broad participation and inclusiveness.
“The findings show strong public backing for decentralised policing as part of broader governance reforms. Seventy per cent support the establishment of state police alongside the Federal Police, although concerns about possible abuse by state governors point to the need for strong accountability safeguards,” Nwankwo said.
Beyond the issue of state policing, he said the survey showed widespread public support for other key constitutional reforms.
Nwankwo noted that 89 per cent of respondents support full financial and administrative autonomy for local governments, a reflection of strong public dissatisfaction with state-level control and a desire for improved grassroots governance.
“89% support full financial and administrative autonomy for local governments, reflecting strong public frustration with state-level control and demand for improved grassroots governance. 61% support devolving more powers — including control over mineral resources — from the Federal Government to the states, while 60% believe excessive federal concentration of power undermines effective governance,” he said.
On electoral reforms, Nwankwo disclosed that 91 per cent of respondents support the mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
He added that 87 per cent believe elected legislators should vacate their seats before defecting to another political party.
According to the survey findings, 77 per cent of respondents also prefer the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct local government elections.
The issue of state police has remained prominent in national discourse as one of the measures proposed to tackle rising insecurity across the country.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu renewed his advocacy for the creation of state police, disclosing that he had assured the United States and European partners of his intention to implement the policy.
The President was quoted as saying that state police “must happen” as part of efforts to enhance internal security and strengthen governance at the subnational level.
