National Assembly Committee Approves Creation of New State in South-East Nigeria

The Joint Committee on Constitution Review of Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives has approved the proposal for the creation of a new state in the South-East, a decision aimed at promoting fairness and balanced representation among the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The resolution was adopted at the end of a two-day retreat in Lagos, where lawmakers reviewed 55 state creation proposals submitted from different parts of the country.

The session was chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and co-chaired by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu. After extensive deliberations, the committee agreed that establishing an additional state in the South-East would correct long-standing regional imbalance.

“In the spirit of equity and national inclusion, the Federal Government should consider creating another state for the South-East region,” the statement from the committee’s media unit said.

South-East to Gain Equal Status with Other Regions

The South-East is currently the only geopolitical zone in Nigeria with five states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo — compared to six in most other regions.

When implemented, the new state will bring the South-East at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East, each of which has six states, while the North-West remains the largest with seven states: Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Jigawa.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, a strong advocate for the proposal, emphasized that the creation of a new state would give South-Easterners a stronger sense of belonging in the Nigerian federation.

Lawmakers Rally Support for the Proposal

The statement noted that Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) initiated the motion for the new state’s creation, which was seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The motion was unanimously adopted by committee members.

In addition, the committee formed a sub-committee to further review requests for new states and local government areas across all six geopolitical zones. According to the committee, a total of 278 proposals for state and local government creation were received for consideration.

Next Steps: Building Consensus Across Assemblies

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin called on legislators to build widespread support in both chambers of the National Assembly and across state Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolution succeeds during the constitutional amendment process.

“We must strengthen what we have started so that all regions of the country align with this initiative. By the time we reach the voting stage, every stakeholder—from both chambers and the state assemblies—should already be on board,” Jibrin said.

The decision represents a major step forward in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to address regional imbalance, promote inclusivity, and strengthen national unity through constitutional reform.