…Acknowledges proposals for 18 new LGAs
The Nigerian Senate has acknowledged the receipt of 31 separate proposals searching for the creation of latest states throughout the nation, alongside 18 extra requests for the institution of latest native authorities areas.
The proposals come at some extent Africa’s most populous nation faces income shortages and excessive value of governance.
Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate chief, mentioned on the South West regional assessment of the constitutional modification course of, that the proposals replicate the rising demand for administrative restructuring and extra equitable governance throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In line with Bamidele, the North-West and North-East zones every submitted six proposals for brand spanking new states, whereas eight got here from the North-Central, 5 from the South-East, six from the South-South, and 4 from the South-West.
By way of native authorities areas, the Senate Structure Overview Committee has acquired seven requests from the North-West, 5 from the North-Central, and one every from the North-East, South-East, and South-West, whereas three got here from the South-South.
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The paperwork obtained by BusinessDay revealed the varied origins and motivations behind these calls for.
Ned Nwoko, in his proposal, referred to as for the creation of Anioma State out of the present Delta State.
Within the letter entitled, ‘Anioma as Fairness State,’ Nwoko emphasised that the creation of Anioma State is just not merely about redrawing boundaries or political comfort however a matter of fairness, honest illustration, and justice.
He identified that the South-East at the moment has 5 states, whereas different geopolitical zones have six or seven states.
On its half, the Motion for the Survival of the Ogoni Folks of the USA, Inc. (MOSOP-USA) is advocating for the creation of Bori State from the current Rivers State, citing the necessity for political autonomy and improvement in Ogoniland.
In Kaduna State, each the Southern Kaduna Folks’s Union and the Kaduna Improvement Elders Initiative are championing the creation of Gurara State, citing persistent marginalisation.
Equally, the Ochetoha Ok’Idoma and Senator Abba Moro are calling for the institution of Apa State from the present Benue State.
On his half, Hakeem Fawehinmi, a professor, has proposed the creation of seven new states per geopolitical zone to steadiness the federation and stop what he described as ‘unviable fiefdoms.’
Within the Niger Delta, the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought have put ahead a case for the creation of Warri State.
Different options embody Edu and Kainji states from Niger, Savannah State from Borno, Amana State from Adamawa, and Mambila State carved out from Taraba, Nasarawa, and Benue states.
There may be additionally a proposal to merge Southern and Western Bauchi (together with Zaar, Jarawa, and Warji communities) with Plateau State, and to switch Southern Gombe to Amana State.
Boundary changes
Additional boundary changes and new regional configurations have been proposed to replicate ethnic and linguistic realities.
These embody integrating Yoruba-speaking communities in Kwara and Kogi into the South-West, and merging Tiv-speaking elements of Taraba and Kogi with Benue.
It was additionally recommended that Doma and Keana areas of Nasarawa might kind a Decrease Center-Belt area, whereas elements of Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, and Yobe might represent an Japanese Center-Belt area.
One other advice is the formation of an Higher Center-Belt zone from the remaining elements of Nasarawa, Southern and Western Bauchi, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Niger, and Zuru-speaking areas of Kebbi State.
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In Enugu State, the Adada State Motion renewed its name for the creation of Adada State, whereas the Oro Nationwide Patriots insisted that state creation must be evaluated on benefit, utilizing rules just like these employed in the USA, equivalent to geographical contiguity, financial viability, and topographical concerns.
These developments observe the February presentation by the Home of Representatives Structure Overview Committee, which additionally proposed the creation of 31 extra states, prompting widespread public response.
Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker, who chaired the committee within the absence of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on Friday, learn out the proposal throughout plenary. The recommended states included: Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; Muri from Taraba; New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; and Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba from the South-East.
Different proposed states included: Ogoja from Cross River; Warri, Ori, and Obolo from the South-South; and Torumbe, Ibadan, Lagoon, Ijebu, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from the South-West.
Nonetheless, the proposals have been swiftly criticised by main regional organisations such because the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere and the Arewa Consultative Discussion board, who dismissed them as unrealistic and politically pushed.
Fiscal disaster
The renewed requires 31 extra states have emerged in opposition to a backdrop of mounting financial stress in Nigeria.
In line with the Debt Administration Workplace (DMO), as of March 31, 2025, Nigeria’s complete public debt had ballooned to N149.39 trillion, up 22.8 p.c year-on-year from N121.67 trillion and rising by N4.72 trillion (3.3 p.c) from the earlier quarter
Nigeria’s 2025 funds comprises a deficit of N13.39 trillion, which is to be funded by a mixture of income and borrowing. Debt servicing for 2025 is estimated at N16.3 trillion, however revenue-to-GDP is about 13.2 p.c, decrease than Rwanda’s 24 p.c and South Africa’s 23.3 p.c.
Most of Nigeria’s 36 states rely closely on month-to-month Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements, with greater than 20 states unable to finance 20 p.c of their budgets from internally generated income.
Lagos and Rivers stay outliers, masking round 70 p.c of their bills by IGR.
Proposal are primarily emotionally-based
Maryam Ibrahim, lawyer and civic rights activist, defined that lots of the memoranda depend on ethnic and nostalgic grounds reasonably than the strict authorized standards required for constitutional amendments.
“The framers of the structure needed a federation, not a patchwork of ethnic enclaves,” she mentioned,
“State creation is constitutionally permissible, nevertheless it’s deliberately troublesome to realize for a purpose: to keep up nationwide cohesion and keep away from pointless fragmentation.
“A lot of the present proposals, whereas emotionally charged, might not meet the authorized thresholds of Part 8 of the 1999 Structure. We should keep away from politicising what must be a rigorous constitutional course of.”
The social advocate additional added, “The clamour for brand spanking new states displays the deep sense of exclusion many communities really feel beneath the present federal construction.
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“However as a substitute of making extra states, we should always concentrate on strengthening regional improvement commissions and devolving powers to the states we have already got.”
She warned that persevering with to multiply states might worsen administrative prices and dilute governance capability.
“We’ve 36 states already struggling to pay salaries. Including 31 extra will solely deepen inefficiency if not backed by strong financial reasoning.”
Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, govt director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, said the necessity to deepen accountability constructions within the present states and native governments, noting that many rural communities stay underdeveloped even in smaller states.
He mentioned, “State creation gained’t repair corruption, weak establishments, or political exclusion.
“Nigeria’s problem is just not the variety of states, however the high quality of governance. Individuals are agitating as a result of they consider new states will deliver improvement nearer. What we want as a substitute is a constitutional modification that mandates equitable distribution of federal tasks, inclusive governance, and monetary autonomy.”
