The Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives has put forward a proposal to establish 31 new states, increasing the total number of states in Nigeria from 36 to 67.
This recommendation was presented in a letter to the House, which was read aloud during a plenary session in Abuja by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the proceedings.
According to the committee, the proposed states would be distributed as follows: six in the North Central, four in the North East, five in the North West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South West.
Among the states under consideration are Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; and an FCT State.
Other proposed states include Amana from Adamawa, Katagum from Bauchi, Savannah from Borno, and Muri from Taraba.
Additionally, the proposal lists New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna, Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi.
In the Southeast, Etiti and Orashi would be added as a sixth state, along with Adada from Enugu, and Orlu and Aba.
Other suggested states include Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, Ogun and Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from parts of Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states.
The letter emphasized that any new state must meet specific constitutional requirements before being considered.
It stated that the process requires approval by at least a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly, as well as support from the House of Representatives, the relevant State House of Assembly, and the affected Local Government Council.
Furthermore, the committee reaffirmed that all proposals must align with Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution, which governs the creation of states and local government areas.
Interested parties were instructed to submit three hard copies of their proposals to the committee’s secretariat at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, along with electronic copies sent via email.
The committee reiterated its commitment to reviewing only proposals that strictly adhere to the constitutional guidelines and requirements.
