1999 Constitution Review: Senate To Consider Creation Of Additional 31 New State
The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution says it will consider 31 proposals for state creation as part of a renewed effort to amend Nigeria’s constitution.
Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Committee, disclosed that the proposals will be reviewed during a two-day zonal public hearing scheduled for July 4 and 5, 2025, across six geopolitical zones.
According to a statement by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Jibrin, the committee is committed to gathering citizen input on a wide range of constitutional amendments.
“The committee received five state creation requests from the south-west, south-south and north-central zones; seven from the north-east; six from the north-west; and three from the south-east,” Mudashir said.
Other priority areas for the committee include local government autonomy, judicial and electoral reforms, state police, and inclusive governance.
“One of the bills proposes to entrench local governments as a constitutionally recognised tier of government with guaranteed tenure,” the statement read.
“The second bill on local government reforms seeks to create an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to organise, conduct and supervise local government elections.”
On national security, “two bills on security and policing for the establishment of state police and state security council to coordinate internal security policies at the sub-national level” will be reviewed.
Fiscal reforms and gender inclusion are also on the agenda, alongside a bill to create national, state, and local councils of traditional rulers.
On June 13, Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) confirmed the red chamber is considering a bill for the creation of Anim State, carved out from parts of Anambra and Imo. He noted the bill has passed second reading and is now before the constitution review committee.
Mudashir urged citizens to actively engage in the public hearings.
