The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has suggested the creation of 31 new states in Nigeria. If approved, this would increase the number of states in the country from the current 36 to 67.
This proposal was announced during a plenary session on Thursday, with Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu reading out the details in the absence of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The committee, which Kalu also chairs, distributed the proposed new states across different regions of the country:
- North Central: 6 new states
- North East: 4 new states
- North West: 5 new states
- South East: 5 new states
- South-South: 4 new states
- South West: 7 new states
The Process for Creating New States
According to the committee, there are strict constitutional requirements that must be met before any new state can be created. Some key steps include:
- Approval by Lawmakers: A bill for creating a new state must be supported by at least two-thirds (majority) of the members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives).
- State and Local Government Endorsement: The House of Assembly of the concerned state(s) and the local government councils in the area must also support the proposal.
- Referendum and Final Approval: A referendum must be conducted where the people in the proposed new state vote on whether they want it or not. If the majority votes in favor, the result will be sent to the National Assembly for approval.
The committee has also urged individuals or groups pushing for the creation of new states to follow these guidelines strictly. They must submit their proposals both in hard copy and electronically to the committee’s secretariat at the National Assembly in Abuja.
List of Proposed New States
Below are the 31 new states being proposed:
North Central
- Okun, Okura, and Confluence (from Kogi State)
- Benue Ala and Apa (from Benue State)
- FCT State (from the Federal Capital Territory)
North East
- Amana (from Adamawa State)
- Katagum (from Bauchi State)
- Savannah (from Borno State)
- Muri (from Taraba State)
North West
- New Kaduna and Gurara (from Kaduna State)
- Tiga and Ari (from Kano State)
- Kainji (from Kebbi State)
South East
- Etiti
- Orashi
- Adada (from Enugu State)
- Orlu
- Aba
South-South
- Ogoja (from Cross River State)
- Warri (from Delta State)
- Ori and Obolo (from Rivers State)
South West
- Torumbe (from Ondo State)
- Ibadan (from Oyo State)
- Lagoon (from Lagos State)
- Ijebu (from Ogun State)
- Ogun State (split into multiple regions)
- Oke Ogun/Ijesha (from parts of Oyo, Ogun, and Osun States)
What Happens Next?
For these proposals to become a reality, they must pass through all constitutional requirements, including approvals from lawmakers and the people in the affected regions. The committee has promised to only consider applications that strictly follow the legal process.
If successful, Nigeria will have more states, potentially leading to better local governance and representation. However, it may also bring new challenges, such as the financial and administrative costs of running more state governments.
