The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of six additional states.
This was one of the key resolutions reached at the end of the two-day retreat, co-chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt—Hon. Benjamin Kalu, in Lagos at the weekend.
The joint committee considered a total of 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests during the retreat.
During the consideration of the 55 requests for state creation on Saturday, the joint committee unanimously resolved that six additional states be created in the country.
If it passes, it would increase the number of states in the country from 36 to 42.
The resolution reads as follows: creation of one additional state in each of the six geopolitical zones: North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-West, South-South, and South-East.
With the approval, South-South will now have seven states, South-West will have seven, South-East will have six, North-West will have eight, North-East will have seven, and North-Central will have seven.
The resolution will formed part of the report of the joint committee that is expected to be presented to both chambers of the National Assembly in the first week of November.
The lawmakers also resolved to create a subcommittee to identify areas from which the six additional states will be carved.
The Chief Whip of the State, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, chairs the Senate Committee to identify the areas.
A member of the subcommittee from North assured that the committee will review all 55 requests submitted to the National Assembly to develop the six new state proposals.
“We will meticulously review the 55 requests for state creation to come up with the areas where the six new states will be carved from. We will be fair and just to all the promoters of state creation,” he said.
