The House of Representatives has unveiled plans to hold zonal public hearings across Nigeria on 86 proposed constitutional amendment bills, targeting key issues such as state creation, security and policing, electoral reforms, and local government autonomy.
Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, disclosed this during a press briefing at the National Assembly on Wednesday, describing the effort as “one of the most ambitious constitutional reform drives in Nigeria’s recent history.”
Kalu said the hearings will hold across 12 centres in the country’s six geopolitical zones from July 11 to 20, with a national public hearing scheduled for July 21 in Abuja.
“These public hearings are not mere formalities,” he declared. “They are strategic engagements designed to give Nigerians from all walks of life an opportunity to scrutinise, question, and contribute meaningfully to the process of constitutional amendment.”
The 86 bills under review have been grouped into 13 broad thematic areas, including: Electoral Reforms ;Judicial Reforms ;Devolution of Powers ;Security and Policing ; Local Government Reform ;Fiscal Federalism ;Indigeneship ; Fundamental Human Rights ; and Creation of States and Local Government Areas.
Other issues covered include traditional institutions, gender equity, and social justice.
The Deputy Speaker urged citizens, civil society organisations, labour groups, community leaders, and professional associations to download the full list of the bills from the Constitution Review Committee’s website — www.hccr.gov.ng — and submit memoranda ahead of the hearings.
“This is about deepening our democracy,” Kalu said. “We want to avoid the mistakes of the past where the constitution was perceived as imposed. This time, the Nigerian people must be at the centre of the conversation.”
He explained that feedback from the zonal sessions would be considered in refining the bills before they are tabled for debate and voting in the National Assembly.
The reform initiative comes at a time when public agitation for restructuring, improved governance, fiscal autonomy, and stronger local institutions has intensified across the country.
Observers say the House’s move signals a renewed commitment by the 10th National Assembly to address Nigeria’s longstanding structural challenges, though past attempts at constitutional review have often stalled due to political disagreements between federal and state lawmakers, as well as presidential inaction.
Kalu, however, expressed confidence in the current process, citing wide consultation and increased public awareness as key drivers of success.
“This is the people’s constitution, and it must reflect the aspirations and realities of the Nigerian people today,” he said.
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