ABUJA — Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has argued that the establishment of state police should be part of a broader restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system, insisting that meaningful federalism cannot be achieved without a major review of the country’s revenue allocation formula.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television, Soludo said the ongoing conversation around state police should not be treated as a standalone reform but as part of efforts to build a more effective and sustainable federal security and justice system.
According to him, Nigeria’s current federal structure remains incomplete because responsibilities are gradually being transferred from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List without corresponding fiscal reforms.
“The issue of state police is part of the march toward a more functional and effective federal structure,” Soludo said. “State policing should not be viewed in isolation. It must be understood within the context of the unfinished business of building a sustainable federal security and justice system.”
The governor noted that while more responsibilities are being devolved to states, the existing revenue-sharing formula has remained largely unchanged, placing increasing financial pressure on subnational governments.
He described the current arrangement—where the Federal Government receives about 53 percent of federation revenue while states receive 26 percent—as inconsistent with the realities of a truly federal system.
Soludo argued that for sustainable federalism to succeed, the Federal Government’s share of federation revenue should not exceed 40 percent, while states should receive a significantly larger allocation to effectively discharge their expanding constitutional responsibilities.
He maintained that fiscal federalism and security reforms must go hand in hand, stressing that devolving policing powers without providing states with adequate financial resources would undermine the effectiveness of the proposed reforms.
The Anambra governor’s remarks add to the growing national debate on constitutional restructuring, fiscal federalism, and the proposed creation of state police as Nigeria seeks solutions to its persistent security challenges.
