National Assembly Endorses Creation of New State in South-East
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in Nigeria’s South-East geopolitical zone, bringing the total number of states in the region to six.
The decision was reached during a two-day retreat in Lagos, where lawmakers reviewed 55 proposals for new states across the country. The South-East, which currently has only five states, has long been considered underrepresented compared to other regions with six or seven states.
The session was presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who has been one of the strongest advocates for the new state.
Kalu emphasized that the call for an additional state in the South-East is rooted in equity, justice, and fairness. Lawmakers on the committee unanimously supported the motion after extensive deliberations.
During the session, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved the motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The motion received unanimous approval from the committee.
In addition to this decision, the joint committee also set up a sub-committee to examine broader proposals for the creation of new states and local government areas across all six geopolitical zones. It was revealed that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for consideration.
Senator Barau Jibrin, in his closing remarks, urged members to build consensus among their colleagues in both chambers of the National Assembly and the state houses of assembly to ensure the proposal succeeds during the constitutional amendment voting process.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” Jibrin said.
“By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders — from both chambers and the State Houses of Assembly.”
