The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of six new states in Nigeria — a development that could raise the number of states in the federation from 36 to 42 if ratified by the National Assembly.
The decision was reached at the end of a two-day retreat in Lagos, co-chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
According to reports, the joint committee reviewed 69 bills, including 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustment proposals, and 278 local government creation applications.
After deliberations, the lawmakers resolved that one additional state should be created in each of the six geopolitical zones — North West, North East, North Central, South West, South South, and South East.
A copy of the resolution obtained by PLATFORM TIMES shows that the move was unanimously supported by members from both chambers in what they described as a step toward promoting fairness, equity, and balanced representation across the regions.
If the proposal scales through, the new structure will see the South South and South West having seven states each, the South East rising to six, the North West increasing to eight, while the North East and North Central will each have seven states.
The approved recommendation, according to insiders, will form part of the joint committee’s comprehensive report to be presented to both chambers of the National Assembly in the first week of November.
To ensure an objective process, the lawmakers also constituted a subcommittee to identify the specific areas from which the six additional states will be carved.
The subcommittee is chaired by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the Chief Whip of the Senate.
A member representing the North West geopolitical zone said the team would carry out a thorough review of all 55 pending state creation requests before arriving at the final list.
“We will meticulously review all the proposals to determine where the new states will be created.
The committee will be fair and just to all promoters of state creation,” the lawmaker assured.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach Innocent Mebiri, the Clerk of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, for further clarification were unsuccessful as his line did not connect.
The development marks one of the most ambitious moves toward political restructuring in recent years.
However, analysts warn that the move could face significant hurdles, including constitutional amendments, economic feasibility, and political consensus among stakeholders.
If the recommendation is eventually adopted, Nigeria would have 42 states and a Federal Capital Territory, reshaping the country’s political and administrative landscape for the first time in nearly three decades.
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