The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has proposed the creation of six new states; it was revealed yesterday.
This proposal was one of the major outcomes of the two-day retreat jointly chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, held in Lagos.
During the retreat, the joint committee reviewed 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustment proposals, and 278 local government creation requests.
After considering the 55 state creation requests, the committee reached a unanimous decision that six additional states should be established.
If this proposal is approved, the total number of states in the country will increase from 36 to 42.
Each of the six geopolitical zones—Northwest, Northeast, Northcentral, Southwest, Southsouth, and Southeast—will have one new state.
As a result, the Southsouth will have seven states; the Southwest will also have seven; the Southeast will have six; the Northwest will have eight; the Northeast will have seven; and the Northcentral will have seven.
The resolution will be included in the report that the joint committee plans to submit to both chambers of the National Assembly in the first week of November.
A senior lawmaker stated that the resolution on state creation received unanimous support from all legislators in both chambers, in the spirit of fairness and equity.
He added that the lawmakers also agreed to form a sub-committee to determine the areas from which the six new states would be created.
The Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, will lead the Senate Committee tasked with identifying the proposed areas.
A member of the sub-committee representing the Northwest assured that the committee would thoroughly review all 55 state creation requests submitted to the National Assembly to develop the six proposed new states.
He said, “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.
“We will be fair and just to all the promoters of state creation.”
The creation of new states requires an amendment to the Constitution.
Such an amendment must receive the approval of two-thirds of the National Assembly, along with the concurrence of two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly in the 36 states.
Efforts to reach Dr Innocent Mebiri, the Clerk of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, were unsuccessful, as his phone number could not be reached.
In recent months, pressure from groups advocating for the creation of new states has intensified.
A group from Delta North has already produced a proposed map for Anioma State, which they intend to serve as the sixth state in the Southeast.
In Oyo State, the movement for the creation of Ibadan State was brought to public attention during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s attendance at the coronation of Oba Rahidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan.
Oba Ladoja personally raised the demand before the President.
He added that it is the wish of his people that Ibadan State should be created out of Oyo State before or by 2027.
