MONTHS after the House of Representatives rejected proposals for the creation of 31 new states across Nigeria, the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has approved the creation of an additional state in Nigeria’s South-East geopolitical zone.
The decision was reached during a two-day retreat held in Lagos between 24 and 25 October, according to Premium Times.
The approval, if ratified, will increase the number of states in the South-East from five to six bringing the region at par with other geopolitical zones. Currently, the South-East, made up of Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, and Enugu states, is the only region with five states, compared to six or seven in others.
The retreat was chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and co-chaired by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, both of whom reportedly led lawmakers in deliberating on over 55 separate requests for new states across the federation.
During the meeting, lawmakers reached a consensus that the South-East’s request satisfied the principles of equity, justice, and fairness guiding the current review process.
Kalu, who has been one of the champions of the creation of a new state for the region, described the move as a constitutional necessity rather than a political demand.
Following extended deliberations, Abdul Ningi, PDP, Senator representing Bauchi Central, moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (APC, Ogun State).
The motion was unanimously approved by members of the joint committee.
Meanwhile, The ICIR reports that the committee’s approval is still at an initial stage since it’s constitutionally mandated for a new state to be formally created, a two-thirds approval from both chambers of the National Assembly and endorsement by at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly are required.
Beyond the South-East proposal, the joint committee also announced the creation of a subcommittee to further review demands for additional states and local government areas across the six geopolitical zones.
According to the report, a total of 278 proposals were submitted by Nigerians and interest groups on state creation, boundary adjustments, and local council reforms.
Recall that in February 2025, the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by Benjamin Kalu, rejected 31 separate proposals for new states, citing failure to meet constitutional requirements as outlined in Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution.
Kalu, speaking at a retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, had clarified that while the proposals represented the aspirations of various regions, none satisfied the constitutional conditions for state creation.
He subsequently gave proponents of the proposals until March 5, 2025, to resubmit in full compliance with the law.
The rejected proposals included requests for six new states in the North-Central, four in the North-East, five in the North-West, five in the South-East, four in the South-South, and seven in the South-West.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M