LAGOS, Nigeria — The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, says the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution is currently considering 55 requests for the creation of new states, two proposals for boundary adjustments, and 278 demands for the creation of local government areas (LGAs).
Barau disclosed this on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at a two-day retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives committees on constitutional review held in Lagos.
According to a statement by Ismail Mudashir, Barau’s special adviser on media and publicity, the lawmaker said the large number of submissions underscores the scale of Nigerians’ expectations and the legislature’s commitment to conducting a “people-centred” amendment process.
“It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and the House of Representatives constitution amendment proposals that cut across several sections and deal with different subject matters,” Barau said.
“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organisations, and interest groups — in town hall meetings, interactive sessions, and public hearings — harvesting and synthesising views and perspectives which have culminated in what we have here today.
“Sixty-nine bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests.”
Barau, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, said lawmakers are expected to deliberate on the proposals and make recommendations to both chambers.
He emphasised that the committee’s goal is to transmit the first set of amendments to state houses of assembly before the end of 2025.
“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the state houses of assembly before the end of this year,” he said.
“I believe we can deliver on this promise if we engage the bills and the issues with open minds.”
Barau urged members to approach the process with patriotism and unity, reminding them that constitutional reform must reflect Nigeria’s collective interests rather than partisan divisions.
“I acknowledge that we represent constituents with diverse ethnic, religious, and socio-economic cleavages through different political platforms,” he said.
“But the constitution is the grundnorm for Nigerian citizens and nationhood, which we must approach with patriotism and nationalism as higher shared goals.”
Barau, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, called on lawmakers to avoid divisive debates and focus on reforms that serve the national interest.
“We are seated here as one committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’. We should be guided by the interests of Nigerians,” he added.
He concluded by expressing optimism that the retreat would yield concrete recommendations capable of meeting the constitutional amendment threshold set under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
The current review represents one of the most extensive constitutional amendment efforts since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, touching on issues ranging from state structure to local government autonomy and fiscal federalism.
