Nigeria’s parliament has taken a major step toward one of the country’s most consequential security reforms in decades, approving legislation that would allow each of the country’s 36 states to establish and operate their own police forces alongside the existing federal Nigeria Police Force. The measure, which enjoys broad political support and has the backing of President Bola Tinubu, still requires approval by at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state assemblies before it can take effect. If implemented, however, it could fundamentally reshape the country’s response to terrorism and communal violence after years of consistent failure under the current centralized system.