The National Assembly has commenced deliberations on extensive constitutional amendments that could pave the way for the creation of 55 new states and 278 additional local government areas across Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy President of the Senate, Ismail Mudashir.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos, Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to a “people-centred and timely” constitutional reform process.
Barau, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, urged lawmakers to ensure that the first set of proposed amendments are transmitted to state Houses of Assembly before the end of the year.
“It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and the House of Representatives’ Constitution Amendment proposals together. We have engaged our constituents, critical stakeholders, civil society organizations, and institutions through town hall meetings and public hearings,” Barau stated.
He revealed that the current review includes 69 bills, 55 requests for state creation, two boundary adjustments, and 278 proposals for new local governments.
Acknowledging the complexity of the task, Barau expressed optimism that lawmakers would make meaningful progress within the two-day session, citing the need for patriotism and national unity.
“We are seated here as one committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’; we should be guided solely by the interests of Nigerians,” he added.
Efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution have historically faced challenges due to the demanding process and the requirement for approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
While the Ninth National Assembly achieved limited success—particularly in securing financial autonomy for state legislatures and the judiciary—other key proposals such as state police and local government autonomy failed to pass.
Political observers note that the current review represents a renewed push for restructuring but warn that the scale of proposals—especially the creation of new states and councils—could reignite regional tensions and test Nigeria’s capacity to balance national aspirations with administrative realities.
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