…Nigeria May Get 55 New States, 278 LGAs — Constitution Review Committee
…Lawmakers Consider Boundary Adjustments, Amendment Bills
Daud Olatunji
Fresh agitations for state and local government creation have resurfaced as the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution received 333 fresh demands from Nigerians seeking far-reaching amendments to the nation’s supreme law.
The Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Senator Jibrin Barau, disclosed on Friday that the panel received 55 requests for new states, 278 proposals for additional local government areas, two demands for boundary adjustments, and 69 amendment bills touching various constitutional provisions.
Barau made the revelation during a two-day retreat for members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review held in Lagos.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, the Deputy Senate President said the deluge of submissions reflected Nigerians’ growing demand for inclusivity, equity, and restructuring in the country’s political and administrative framework.
“We have before us 69 amendment bills, 55 requests for state creation, two proposals for boundary adjustment, and 278 requests for local government creation,” Barau stated.
“This exercise reflects the National Assembly’s commitment to deliver people-centred and timely amendments that will strengthen our democracy.”
He explained that the ongoing constitutional amendment process—now in its fourth phase since 1999—was the outcome of two years of extensive consultations with citizens, civil society groups, traditional rulers, and other interest groups across the country.
Barau charged the lawmakers to approach the sensitive task with patriotism, fairness, and open-mindedness, warning against ethnic or political bias.
“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can deliver the first set of amendments to the state Houses of Assembly before the end of this year,” he said.
“We represent constituents of diverse ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds, but the Constitution remains the grundnorm that binds us together as one nation.”
The lawmaker, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged his colleagues to avoid divisive rhetoric and focus on reforms that would serve the collective interest of Nigerians.
> “There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’. We are seated here as one committee, guided only by the interests of Nigerians,” Barau added.
The National Assembly’s Constitution Review Committee is expected to deliberate on critical areas such as state creation, local government autonomy, devolution of powers, state police, independent candidacy, and electoral reforms — issues long considered key to strengthening Nigeria’s federal structure.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, had earlier hinted that the committee’s report would also propose constitutional timelines for presenting annual appropriation bills to enhance fiscal discipline and governance efficiency.
Barau reaffirmed that the committee aims to conclude its work and transmit the harmonised amendment proposals to state Houses of Assembly before the end of 2025, in line with the provisions of Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
The retreat in Lagos follows a similar session held in Kano earlier in the year, as part of ongoing efforts to gather nationwide input and ensure that the constitutional review reflects the aspirations of Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones.
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