By Eshiorameh Sebastian
A committee of the Nigerian National Assembly has proposed the creation of six new states, a move that would significantly alter the country’s political map.
The proposal, advanced by the Joint Committee on Constitution Review, recommends establishing one new state in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. If approved, the total number of states would rise from 36 to 42.
The decision was reached during a two-day retreat in Lagos, co-chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
The committee considered a vast number of requests, including 55 for state creation, two for boundary adjustments, and 278 for new local government areas. From these, the unanimous resolution was to push for six new states to ensure regional balance.
Under this plan, the South-south and South-west zones would each have seven states. The North-east, North-central, and South-east would also see their counts increase, with the North-west rising to eight states in total. The South-east, which currently has five states, would be raised to six, addressing long-standing calls for parity with other zones.
A principal officer involved in the retreat stated that the resolution was supported by all attending lawmakers “in the spirit of fairness and equity.”
The committee has now taken a further step by establishing a sub-committee, to be chaired by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno. This sub-committee is tasked with the delicate job of reviewing all 55 state creation requests and recommending specific areas from which the six new states will be formed.
A member of this sub-committee from the North-west zone assured that the process would be meticulous. “We will meticulously review the 55 requests for state creation to come up with the areas where the six new states will be carved from,” the lawmaker said. “We will be fair and just to all the promoters of state creation.”
The path to state creation remains a long and complex one. The proposal must be passed as a constitutional amendment, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Following this, it must be approved by two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state legislatures.
The report containing this proposal is expected to be presented to the full National Assembly in the first week of November.
The announcement comes amid intense and ongoing agitation from various regions for their own states. Prominent campaigns include the push for Anioma State in the South-east and Ibadan State in the South-west, the latter having been publicly mentioned to President Bola Tinubu during a recent royal ceremony.
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