Nigeria’s ongoing constitutional reform efforts have gained renewed momentum as the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution begins deliberations on 31 fresh proposals for state creation, far-reaching judicial reforms, and a landmark push to grant full autonomy to the country’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).
The proposed state creation requests—spanning all six geopolitical zones—signal growing demands for greater representation and administrative decentralization. The breakdown includes seven proposals from the North East, six from the North West, five each from the South-West, South-South, and North-Central zones, and three from the South-East.
The review committee, chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin, said it is also considering over 60 bills covering electoral, fiscal, security, gender, and governance reforms. The committee’s deliberations coincide with a nationwide two-day zonal public hearing scheduled for July 4 and 5, 2025, aimed at gathering input from Nigerians on the proposed constitutional amendments.
The hearings will be held simultaneously in Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), Maiduguri (North-East), and Kano (North-West).
"We are committed to ensuring that this process is inclusive, participatory, and reflective of the will of the Nigerian people,” said Jibrin. “These amendments touch on key national issues that have long demanded legislative attention.”
A major highlight of the reform agenda is the effort to grant full autonomy to LGAs, a move that would constitutionally recognize them as an independent tier of government. One bill proposes guaranteeing the democratic existence and fixed tenure of local government councils, while another seeks to establish the National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to ensure free and credible local elections—independent of state interference.
This proposed autonomy has long been demanded by advocates of grassroots development who argue that local governments have been stifled by state governments, affecting service delivery in health, education, and infrastructure.
Amid rising insecurity, the Senate is also considering two bills that would establish state police forces and state security councils, enabling states to take greater responsibility for internal security.
“Security is local, and we believe empowering states to coordinate security within their borders will improve response times and intelligence gathering,” a Senate source noted.
In response to growing concerns over fiscal inefficiencies, six bills on fiscal reform are also under review. One seeks to empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to monitor compliance with revenue remittances to the Federation Account, while another proposes setting constitutional deadlines for the presentation of annual budgets by the president and governors.
In a significant step toward gender equity, a bill has been introduced to create additional seats for women in both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. Another bill seeks to allow Nigerians living abroad to vote in national elections—an overdue reform, according to diaspora advocacy groups.
Other proposals include the establishment of National, State, and Local Councils of Traditional Rulers, which aims to formalize the roles of monarchs in governance. A separate bill proposes to amend the constitution to allow independent candidates to contest elections at all levels.
No fewer than 20 bills seek to reform the judiciary. Key among them are provisions for timely delivery of judgments, expanded jurisdiction for election tribunals, and structural reforms to ensure greater judicial independence and efficiency.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy Senate President, emphasized the significance of public input:
“The Constitution belongs to all Nigerians. This is a critical opportunity for citizens, civil society, and interest groups to shape the laws that govern our country.”
With public hearings on the horizon and national attention turned to the constitutional reform process, the Senate committee is calling on Nigerians from all walks of life to participate actively.
As the hearings draw near, expectations are high that these proposals if passed could mark one of the most transformative periods in Nigeria’s constitutional history since the return to democracy in 1999.
