By Nonye Okonkwo,
In a historic move designed to address the protracted issue of regional imbalance in Nigeria’s federal structure, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review has unanimously approved the creation of an additional state for the South-East geopolitical zone.
The approval, reached at the conclusion of a two-day retreat in Lagos, signifies a critical legislative endorsement that, if ultimately ratified, will increase the number of states in the South-East from five to six, bringing the zone on par with most other geopolitical zones in the country.
The South-East region (comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states) has consistently been the only geopolitical zone with just five states, compared to six states in the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, and seven in the North-West. This disparity has fueled decades of calls for equity, justice, and fairness in the distribution of federal resources, legislative seats, and political appointments.
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Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who co-chairs the joint committee alongside Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin, has been a vocal champion of the initiative. Kalu described the decision as a constitutional necessity to promote inclusivity and unity.
The resolution was adopted following a motion moved by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State), demonstrating a rare bipartisan consensus on a sensitive structural issue.
While the committee’s approval marks a significant breakthrough, it is only the initial stage of a complex constitutional process. The creation of a new state must satisfy strict requirements outlined in Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
For the decision to be finalized, the proposal must secure:
- Two-thirds majority approval in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
- The endorsement of at least two-thirds (24) of the State Houses of Assembly across the federation.
The Joint Committee has established a subcommittee to further consider and harmonize the total of 55 proposals for state creation submitted from across all six geopolitical zones, alongside 278 requests for new local government areas.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin has urged committee members to immediately begin consultations and advocacy with colleagues in both the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to ensure the successful ratification of the amendment before the end of the year.
The committee’s resolution is widely viewed as the most promising step toward creating a new state since 1996, when General Sani Abacha created the last set of new states. The final hurdle will be mobilizing the required political will and constitutional numbers to formalize the decision.
This video provides context on the constitutional review process across the southern regions of Nigeria. Nigeria’s Constitution Review: Public Hearings held Across Southern States.
