The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has put forward a proposal for the creation of 31 additional states across the country.
If approved, this move would significantly alter Nigeria’s political and administrative landscape, increasing the total number of states from 36 to 67.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, read the letter from the committee containing the proposal during plenary on Thursday in Abuja.
The proposal seeks to address demands for greater representation, economic viability, and regional balance in governance.
The letter read in part, “The committee proposes the creation of 31 new states. As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation”, which include the following:
Legislative Requirements for State Creation
The proposal must undergo a rigorous constitutional process before it can be implemented. According to the letter read by Kalu, Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, outlines the specific requirements for state creation, including:
The proposal is expected to generate heated debates in both legislative and public discourse as it progresses through the constitutional amendment process.