In a landmark decision aimed at correcting long-standing regional disparities, the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in Nigeria’s South East geopolitical zone.
The decision, reached after a two-day retreat in Lagos, will raise the number of states in the South East from five to six — bringing the zone closer in parity with others that currently have six or seven states.
The retreat was chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu. The committee deliberated on 55 separate proposals for state creation submitted from across the country.
Kalu, a leading advocate for a sixth state in the South East, said the move was guided by the principles of equity, justice, and fairness.
“This decision is not about politics or sentiment. It is about fairness to a region that has, for too long, been short-changed in the federation’s structure,” Kalu said.
The motion for the new state was moved by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). It received unanimous approval from the joint committee.
In addition, the committee established a subcommittee to further examine the creation of new states and local government areas across all six geopolitical zones. The subcommittee will review 278 proposals already submitted for consideration.
In his closing remarks, Senator Barau Jibrin urged members to begin consultations within both chambers of the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolution gains the necessary support when subjected to a constitutional vote.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” Jibrin said. “By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the State Houses of Assembly.”
The approval marks a major step toward addressing the long-standing demand for parity among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, an issue that has featured prominently in previous constitutional amendment efforts.
Although the name and boundaries of the proposed new state were not disclosed, sources at the retreat revealed that the subcommittee would finalize the details and engage relevant stakeholders before submitting a harmonized report to the full committee.
If ratified by two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least 24 State Houses of Assembly, the new state would officially become Nigeria’s 37th state.
