26/10/2025
N’Assembly Committee Backs Creation of New State in South-East
The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has endorsed the creation of a new state in Nigeria’s South-East region.
A statement from the committee’s media unit disclosed that the decision was reached on Saturday during a two-day retreat in Lagos, where members reviewed 55 proposals for new states across the country.
The session was chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, serving as co-chair.
In its resolution, the committee said the creation of another state in the South-East was in the interest of fairness and equity, noting that the region remains the only geo-political zone with five states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.
Kalu, who has been a vocal advocate for additional state creation in the zone, maintained that the move would give the people of the South-East a greater sense of belonging and bring parity with other regions, each of which has six states.
According to the statement, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved the motion for the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The proposal reportedly received unanimous support from committee members.
In addition, the committee set up a sub-committee to consider broader requests for the creation of new states and local government areas nationwide. It revealed that a total of 278 proposals for new states and LGAs were submitted for review.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin urged members to intensify consultations with their colleagues in both chambers of the National Assembly and across state legislatures to ensure the proposal gains the necessary backing during the constitutional amendment process.
“We must consolidate on what we have started so that all parts of the country will align with this process. By the time we get to the stage of voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders,” Jibrin stated.