Reps committee proposes creation of 31 new states

DDM News

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has proposed the creation of 31 new states across Nigeria.

Diaspora digital media (DDM) reports that if approved, Nigeria will expand from 36 to 67 states, significantly altering its political and administrative structure.

The recommendation was presented in a letter read during Thursday’s plenary session by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

Kalu presided over the session in the absence of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The committee, chaired by Kalu, proposed six new states for the North Central region.

Four new states were recommended for the North East, while five were proposed for the North West.

The South East is expected to get five new states under the proposal.

The South-South region has four proposed states, while the South West is allocated seven.

Guidelines for state creation

The letter outlined constitutional requirements that must be met before any new state can be officially recognized.

Any act of the National Assembly aimed at creating a new state must be supported by at least a two-thirds majority.

Approval must also come from the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly representing the affected area.

Local Government Councils within the proposed state must endorse the request before it can proceed.

Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution guides the process of state creation and boundary adjustments.

According to Section 8(3), State Houses of Assembly must conduct a referendum before forwarding results to the National Assembly.

Any proposal that fails to meet these constitutional conditions will not be considered.

Interested parties must submit three hard copies of their memoranda to the committee’s secretariat at the National Assembly Complex.

Electronic copies should be sent to the committee’s official email address for proper documentation.

Further inquiries can be made by contacting the Committee Clerk through the provided phone number.

List of proposed states

The proposed states include Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi State.

Benue Ala and Apa are proposed from Benue, while FCT State is suggested from the Federal Capital Territory.

Amana is expected to be created from Adamawa, while Katagum is proposed from Bauchi.

Savannah is to be carved from Borno, and Muri is proposed from Taraba.

The North West has New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna, Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi.

In the South East, Etiti and Orashi are proposed alongside Adada from Enugu, Orlu from Imo, and Aba from Abia.

The South-South region has Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, and Ori and Obolo from Rivers.

For the South West, Torumbe is proposed from Ondo, and Ibadan is to be created from Oyo.

Lagoon is suggested for Lagos, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke-Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states.

Implications of the new states proposal

The creation of 31 new states is expected to spark national debate.

Supporters believe it will bring government closer to the people and improve governance.

Critics argue that the expansion will increase administrative costs and financial burdens on the federal government.

Nigeria’s federal structure depends heavily on revenue allocations from the central government.

Creating 31 additional states may lead to economic strain on states already struggling financially.

Political and regional considerations

The proposed states address long-standing demands for greater representation and administrative autonomy.

The South East, historically underrepresented in state allocation, has five new states in the proposal.

This move could be seen as an effort to address concerns of political marginalization.

The North West, which has the most states, is set to gain five more.

The South-South and North East will each receive four new states.

The South West is expected to gain seven additional states.

The inclusion of an FCT state could grant the Federal Capital Territory full administrative status.

Next steps and public reactions

The proposal will undergo further scrutiny before any final decision is made.

Public hearings may be conducted to gather input from various stakeholders.

The committee has urged interested parties to submit memoranda following the stipulated guidelines.

The final decision depends on legislative approval and public support.

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review assured that only proposals meeting constitutional criteria will be considered.

If approved, Nigeria could experience a significant political and structural transformation.

The economic and administrative viability of creating new states remains a key issue.

The national debate will focus on governance, economic development, and national unity.

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