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National Assembly committee approves creation of new South-East state
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Lawmakers say move ensures equity across regions
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Sub-committee to review additional state creation requests nationwide
The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of a new state in Nigeria’s South-East geopolitical zone.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to a statement by the committee’s media unit, the resolution was reached on Saturday during a two-day retreat held in Lagos, where lawmakers deliberated on 55 proposals for new states across the country. The session was chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Kalu, who strongly supported the move, said the creation of another state would give the South-East a sense of equity and inclusion in the Nigerian federation. “When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, each having six states,” the statement read.
Currently, the South-East has only five states—Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—making it the only zone with fewer than six states, while the North-West has seven.
During the session, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved the motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The motion received unanimous support from committee members and was subsequently adopted.
The committee also announced the formation of a sub-committee to consider further requests for additional states and local government areas from other regions. In total, 278 proposals were submitted for review.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin urged lawmakers to mobilize support across both chambers and state assemblies ahead of the final stage of voting. He emphasized the need for unity and collaboration to ensure nationwide acceptance of the proposed amendment.
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