NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BEGINS TALKS ON CREATION OF 55 NEW STATES, 278 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The National Assembly has begun deliberations on sweeping constitutional amendments that could lead to the creation of 55 new states and 278 additional local government areas across Nigeria.
Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) disclosed this on Friday during a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held in Lagos.
According to a statement by his spokesperson, Ismail Mudashir, Jibrin reaffirmed the legislature’s determination to deliver “people-centred and timely” constitutional reforms.
He said the amendments under consideration cut across multiple sections of the Constitution, emphasizing that lawmakers had engaged with citizens and stakeholders over the past two years through town hall meetings, public hearings, and consultations to gather public input.
“It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and the House of Representatives’ Constitution Amendment proposals that cut across several sections and deal with different subject matters,” Jibrin said.
“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organizations and interest groups, harvesting and synthesizing views and perspectives which have culminated in what we have here today — 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests.”
The Deputy Senate President, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, urged members to expedite deliberations so that the first set of amendment bills can be transmitted to state Houses of Assembly before the end of the year.
“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments before the year ends,” he added.
Jibrin also appealed for patriotism and unity, warning against divisive tendencies during the review process.
“We are seated here as one committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’; we should be guided by the interests of Nigerians,” he said.
“I wish all of us a very fruitful deliberation and hope for recommendations that will meet the approval threshold of Section 9 of the Constitution.”
The ongoing constitutional review is one of the most ambitious reform efforts in recent years, with proposals touching on state creation, local governance, boundary adjustments, and institutional restructuring.
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