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The National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has given its initial approval for the creation of six additional states across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The decision was reached during a two-day retreat of the committee held in Lagos, presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
According to reports from the committee, the recommendation followed the review of several memoranda submitted by individuals and groups demanding new states.
The committee resolved that each geopolitical zone should have one new state added, while a sub-committee has been mandated to further scrutinize the over 50 proposals received.
In particular, the South-East region, which currently has five states, was highlighted as deserving of an additional state to achieve parity with other zones.
This development followed a motion moved by Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi State and seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka from Ogun State.
However, the approval remains at the committee stage and does not yet translate into the legal creation of new states.
The Nigerian Constitution stipulates that for a new state to be created, the proposal must pass through several stages, which includes the approval of two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly and endorsement by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly concerned.
The committee stated that further consultations and constitutional procedures will determine the next steps toward realizing the proposed states.
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