NASS approves creation of sixth state for South-East
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Oct 26, 2025 01:27
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NASS approves creation of sixth state for South-East
By Johnson Arua
The Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Constitution Review has unanimously approved the creation of an additional state in the South-East geopolitical zone, raising the number of states in the region from five to six.
The decision was reached during a two-day retreat held in Lagos, where the committee reviewed 55 proposals for new states across the country. The South-East, which currently has five states — the fewest among the six geopolitical zones — has long agitated for parity with other regions that have six or seven states.
The session was chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu. Kalu, who has been a leading advocate for the creation of another state in the South-East, emphasized that the demand was rooted in equity, justice, and fairness.
Following extensive deliberations, members of the committee unanimously endorsed the proposal. A motion for the creation of the new state was moved by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The motion was subsequently adopted without opposition.
In a related development, the joint committee also set up a sub-committee to further examine the creation of additional states and local government areas across the six geopolitical zones. According to the committee, a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.
Senator Jibrin urged members to sustain the momentum by engaging their colleagues at both the National Assembly and the state assemblies to ensure the resolution receives the necessary approvals during voting.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” Jibrin said. “By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders from both chambers and the State Houses of Assembly.”
