By GABRIELLA CHINWENDU AYIGBO

On the sixth of January, 2025, during the constitution review at the Federal Capital Territory, the lower chamber committee, also known as the House of Representatives, advocated for the creation of 31 new states, making Nigeria constitute a total of 67 states if the proposal is accepted.

The advocacy for the 31 new states was read in a letter during Thursday’s plenary action by the deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu, in the void of the speaker, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas. The proposal includes the creation of six new states in the north_central region namely; Benue Ala state from Benue, Okura state from Kogi, Confluence state from Kogi, Apa_Agba state from Benue state senatorial district and Apa state from Benue state, four states at the north _east namely; Amana state from Adamawa, Katagum from Bauchi state, Savannah state from Borno and Muri state from Taraba, Five states from the north-west region namely; New Kaduna state and Gurara state from Kaduna, Tiga state from Kano, Kainji state from Kebbi and Ghari state from Kano, five new states at the south-east region namely; Etiti state, Adada state from Enugu, Urashi state, Orlu state from Imo and Abba state from Abia. Four states from the south-south region namely; Ogoja state from Cross River, Warri state from Delta, Bori state from Rivers and Obolo state from Rivers and Akwa Ibom, and six states for the southwest region namely; Toru-Ebe state from Delta, Edo and Ondo, Ibadan state from Oyo state, Lagoon state from Lagos state, Ife-Ijesha from Oyo and Osun, Oke-Ogun state from Ogun state and IJEBU state from Ogun state.

The F.C.T Abuja will now be considered as the thirty-seventh state.

This proposal is envisaged to encounter proper legislative inspection with constitutional obstacles expected to shape the last verdict. While some Nigerians believe that if it’s successful, Nigeria’s 36-state structure will witness its biggest restructuring since 1996, some believe that it’s just another case of misplaced priorities.

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