The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has received a staggering 31 proposals for the creation of new states across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, marking a potential historic shift in the nation’s political structure.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, during Thursday’s plenary, read a letter from the committee outlining the strict constitutional requirements for state creation. According to the letter, five proposals emerged from the North Central, four from the North East, five from the North West, five from the South East, four from the South South, and seven from the South West.
Among the proposed states are Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; and a bold proposal for an FCT State. Other submissions include Amana (Adamawa), Katagum (Bauchi), Savannah (Borno), and Muri (Taraba). In the North West, new states such as New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna, Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi have been proposed.
The South East, long vocal about political restructuring, has pitched Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba as new states. Meanwhile, the South South put forward Ogoja (Cross River), Warri (Delta), Ori and Obolo (Rivers). The South West, with the highest number of proposals, included Torumbe (Ondo), Ibadan (Oyo), Lagoon (Lagos), Ijebu (Ogun), and Oke Ogun/Ijesha (Oyo/Ogun/Osun).
The committee emphasized that Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) sets out rigorous conditions for the approval of any new state. According to the letter read by Kalu, any request must be backed by at least a two-thirds majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the relevant State House of Assembly and Local Government Councils in the affected area.
With Nigeria already grappling with economic and governance challenges, the sheer number of state creation proposals has sparked intense debate on feasibility, necessity, and political motivations. As the review process unfolds, the question remains: Is Nigeria on the brink of its biggest territorial restructuring since independence?
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