The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has received proposals for the creation of 31 additional states in Nigeria, bringing the total number of states to 67 if approved.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, during plenary on Thursday.
According to Kalu, the proposals outline the demand for new states across all six geopolitical zones, with the breakdown as follows: North Central (6), North East (4), North West (5), South East (5), South South (4), and South West (7).
The proposed states include Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; and Muri from Taraba.
Others in the North West include New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna; Tiga and Ari from Kano; and Kainji from Kebbi.
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In the South East, the proposals include Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the region, along with Adada from Enugu, Orlu, and Aba.
The South-South region has requests for Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers. The South West has demands for Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos and Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states.
The committee highlighted the constitutional requirements that must be met for the creation of new states. These include securing a two-thirds majority vote from the National Assembly, House of Assembly, and Local Government Councils within the affected areas.
Additionally, Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution mandates that the outcome of the State Houses of Assembly referendum must be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration.
Furthermore, the committee specified that proposals must be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulated guidelines.
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Hard copies of memoranda should be delivered to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, while electronic copies must be sent to the designated committee email.
Kalu assured that the committee remains committed to constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that align with the stipulated guidelines.
The announcement has sparked discussions across the country, with various stakeholders analyzing the feasibility and implications of increasing the number of states in Nigeria.
