State leaders unveil proposed structure for regional law enforcement in anticipation of constitutional revisions

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, comprising the thirty-six state governors, has expressed its support for the development of a state police framework, which outlines key readiness requirements such as governance structures, financing models, and human capital standards, in preparation for proposed constitutional amendments.

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This framework, developed by the secretariat, also includes digital systems and oversight mechanisms, and is seen as a crucial step in strengthening governance and improving security nationwide.

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The governors, who met in Abuja on Wednesday, also endorsed the ongoing fiscal and education reforms, which aim to strengthen governance, improve revenue mobilisation, and expand access to quality education across the country.

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As part of their efforts to enhance governance, the governors have unveiled a new Leadership Academy, which will be established as a new directorate within the secretariat to provide a flagship platform for subnational leadership development.

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The NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, signed a communiqué reaffirming the Forum’s commitment to partnering with the Federal Government to implement policies that strengthen state capacity and improve service delivery.

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The communiqué, read by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, highlighted the governors’ discussions on issues affecting the country, including their deliberations on tax reforms, revenue performance, and plans to expand basic and secondary education infrastructure.

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The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made presentations to the governors on these issues, providing a comprehensive briefing on current fiscal developments and the federal government’s education agenda.

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The governors congratulated Taiwo Oyedele on his appointment and received a briefing on trends in FAAC revenues, ongoing tax reforms, and efforts to strengthen revenue mobilisation across all tiers of government.

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The Forum underscored the need to restore confidence in fiscal management systems and called for the timely resolution of outstanding fiscal matters, which are critical to subnational planning and budgetary stability.

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The governors also discussed reforms to broaden the taxpayer base, improve compliance, and ease the burden on basic consumption, and reaffirmed their commitment to working with the Minister of Finance to advance shared fiscal objectives.

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The Minister of Education, Professor Tunji Alausa, presented the federal government’s education priorities, including the proposed transition to a 12-year continuous basic education framework and the progress recorded on the Digital National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) platform.

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The governors reaffirmed their commitment to working with the federal government to advance shared objectives, including expanding access to quality education and ensuring that resources reach the communities that need them most.

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The Forum approved the establishment of the NGF Academy & Leadership Centre, which will integrate executive capacity building, applied research, governance advisory, and peer learning to support all 36 states.

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The governors welcomed progress towards the operationalisation of the academy and reaffirmed their support for the initiative as a strategic resource for strengthening governance across the federation.

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The Forum noted progress on the NGF States Agribusiness Investment Programme (SAIP) – Rice Helpdesk, supported by the Gates Foundation, and acknowledged the importance of addressing sector-wide institutional, market, and financing constraints.

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The governors reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of the programme at the state level to deliver measurable outcomes in food security and agricultural productivity.