In what is being described as a landmark step toward achieving regional balance and equity in Nigeria’s federal structure, the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of a new state in the South-East geo-political zone.
The decision was reached at the end of a two-day retreat held in Lagos, where the committee reviewed 55 proposals for new state creation across the country.
According to a statement released by the media unit of the committee, the resolution was driven by the need to ensure fairness and equitable representation among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
The session 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 Kalu, who has been at the forefront of advocacy for the creation of an additional state in the South-East.
Equity for the South-East
Currently, the South-East remains the only geo-political zone with five states including Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo while the other zones have either six or seven.
The new state, when created, will bring the region to parity with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, each of which has six states. The North-West has seven.
Kalu emphasized that the move would not only address longstanding calls for inclusivity but also strengthen national unity by giving the people of the South-East a stronger voice within the federation.
“This is a question of equity and fairness. Our people deserve a sense of belonging in the Nigerian project,” Kalu stated.
The motion for the creation of the new South-East state was moved by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State).
It received unanimous support from members of the joint committee and was formally adopted as a key resolution.
In addition, the committee announced the establishment of a sub-committee to consider broader proposals for the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geo-political zones.
A total of 278 submissions were received for this purpose.
Speaking at the retreat, Senator Barau Jibrin urged lawmakers to mobilize support across both chambers of the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly to ensure the proposal passes during the voting stage.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process. By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders,”
Jibrin said.
