Nigeria may soon have six additional states, following a proposal by the Joint Committee on Constitution Review of the Senate and House of Representatives, which concluded a two-day retreat in Lagos.
The retreat, co-chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, examined 69 constitutional amendment bills, including 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustment proposals, and 278 local government creation demands.
After extensive deliberations, the committee reached a unanimous decision to recommend the creation of six new states — one from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. If ratified, this would bring the total number of states in the country from 36 to 42.
Under the proposed arrangement:
The South-South and South-West would each have seven states.
The South-East would have six states.
The North-West, North-East, and North-Central would each have seven states.
The committee’s resolution will be included in its formal report, expected to be presented to both chambers of the National Assembly in the first week of November.
A senior lawmaker involved in the process said the recommendation was reached “in the spirit of fairness and equity.”
The lawmakers also agreed to establish a sub-committee to identify the specific regions or territories from which the new states will be carved out. Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno was appointed to head the team.
A member of the sub-committee representing the North-West zone assured that the panel would carefully evaluate all 55 state creation requests to determine the most suitable areas, pledging fairness and transparency in its work.
However, the creation of new states would require a constitutional amendment, which must be approved by two-thirds of the National Assembly and two-thirds of all 36 state Houses of Assembly — a demanding process that has historically made state creation difficult.
In recent months, pressure from regional advocacy groups has grown stronger. Campaigners from Delta North have pushed for the creation of Anioma State to join the South-East, while in Oyo State, calls for the creation of Ibadan State have intensified.
During the coronation of Oba Rashidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan, local leaders publicly appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure the new state’s creation before or by 2027.
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