The House of Representatives has received proposals for the creation of 31 new states across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, read the letter detailing these proposals during plenary.
The proposals include:
- North Central: Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi State; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue State.
- North East: Amana from Adamawa State; Katagum from Bauchi State; Savannah from Borno State; Muri from Taraba State.
- North West: New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano State; Kainji from Kebbi State.
- South East: Etiti, Orashi, Adada, 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 from Ogun; Oke Ogun/Ijesha from the Oyo/Ogun/Osun states.
The committee outlined the conditions for approving new state creation requests. As per the constitution, the following requirements must be met:
- A request must have the support of at least a two-thirds majority in the Senate, House of Representatives, State Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Councils in the affected areas.
- Local Government advocates must adhere to Section 8 of the Constitution, with referendum results forwarded to the National Assembly for further processing.
Proposals must be submitted in three hard copies to the Committee Secretariat at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, with electronic copies sent to the committee’s official email.
Kalu reiterated that the Committee would only consider proposals that strictly comply with constitutional guidelines, emphasizing their commitment to supporting lawful efforts for state creation.