The House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee has proposed the creation of 31 additional states, expanding Nigeria’s current 36-state structure.
This proposal was contained in a letter submitted to the House of Representatives and read during plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session in Abuja.
According to the committee, the proposed states include six in the North Central, four in the North East, five in the North West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South West.
The proposed states include:
•North Central: Okun, Okura, and Confluence (from Kogi); Benue Ala and Apa (from Benue); and FCT State
•North East: Amana (from Adamawa), Katagum (from Bauchi), Savannah (from Borno), and Muri (from Taraba)
•North West: New Kaduna and Gurara (from Kaduna), Tiga and Ari (from Kano), and Kainji (from Kebbi)
•South East: Etiti and Orashi (as the 6th state in the region), Adada (from Enugu), Orlu and Aba
•South-South: Ogoja (from Cross River), Warri (from Delta), Ori and Obolo (from Rivers)
•South West: Torumbe (from Ondo), Ibadan (from Oyo), Lagoon (from Lagos), Ijebu and Ogun (from Ogun), and Oke Ogun/Ijesha (from Oyo/Ogun/Osun)
The letter emphasized the constitutional requirements for state creation, stating that any proposal must be supported by at least a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, the affected state House of Assembly, and the relevant local government councils.
Additionally, the outcome of state referendums must be submitted to the National Assembly for approval. The committee stressed that only proposals that adhere strictly to constitutional provisions would be considered.
Stakeholders and advocates were directed to submit three hard copies of their proposals to the committee’s secretariat at the House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, with electronic copies sent to the committee’s official email.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a transparent and lawful process for the consideration of new states in Nigeria.
