Nigeria may soon have six additional states as the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitutional Review has approved the proposal for their creation.
The decision was one of the major outcomes of a two-day retreat held in Lagos, jointly chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
According to reports, the committee reached a unanimous decision after reviewing 55 separate requests for new states from different parts of the country.
In addition, the lawmakers considered 69 bills, two boundary adjustment proposals, and 278 requests for new local government areas during the retreat.
The committee resolved that one new state will be created in each of the six geopolitical zones North West, North East, North Central, South West, South East, and South South.
If the proposal successfully passes through all constitutional processes, Nigeria’s number of states will increase from 36 to 42.
Speaking during the session, Senator Barau Jibrin said the committee’s decision was the product of years of broad consultation and engagement with citizens and stakeholders.
“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organisations, and interest groups through town hall meetings, interactive sessions, and public hearings,” he said.
“We harvested and synthesised their views and perspectives, which have culminated in what we have here today — 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests.”
The proposal will now be forwarded to the full chambers of the National Assembly for deliberation and possible inclusion in the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
If approved, the move would significantly alter Nigeria’s political structure, ensuring each geopolitical zone has at least six states and potentially reshaping the country’s federal balance.
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