International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

ABSTRACT Background: Nigeria’s persistent insecurity has intensified debate over the effectiveness of centralised policing and the need for the establishment of state police. Although existing studies examine policing challenges and decentralisation, limited research integrates comparative federal experiences with Nigeria’s security realities.
Objective: This study examined the prospects, challenges, and policy options for state policing in strengthening internal security in Nigeria.
Method: The study adopted a qualitative comparative design based exclusively on secondary data from academic literature, policy documents, legal materials, and institutional reports. Comparative evidence is drawn from the United States, Germany, and India.
Result: Findings indicate that state policing could strengthen grassroots intelligence, locally responsive community policing, operational responsiveness, rural security, and intergovernmental collaboration. However, political interference, fiscal disparities, constitutional conflicts, ethnic and political bias, weak accountability, and poor inter-agency coordination could undermine its effectiveness.
Conclusion: State policing should not be regarded as an automatic solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. Its effectiveness would depend on appropriate constitutional, institutional, financial, and accountability arrangements.
Unique Contribution: The study integrates comparative federal experiences with Nigeria’s security context and conceptualises state policing as a broader security-governance reform.
Key Recommendation: The study recommends constitutional clarity, independent oversight, professional recruitment and training, sustainable financing, intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and safeguards against political and discriminatory policing.