ABUJA, Nigeria — The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has announced that it will consider 31 separate proposals for the creation of new states as part of a wider constitutional amendment process aimed at reforming Nigeria’s governance structure.
Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President and chairman of the review committee, disclosed that the proposals will be scrutinised during a two-day zonal public hearing scheduled for Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July, 5, 2025.
The hearings will be held concurrently in six locations across the country: Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), Maiduguri (North-East), and Kano (North-West).
In a statement issued on Sunday, June 22, 2025, by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy Senate President, the committee emphasised its commitment to inclusive public engagement on a wide range of national issues.
Mudashir revealed the geographical breakdown of the state creation demands: five 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.
In addition to the state creation proposals, the committee will also deliberate on major constitutional reforms touching on local government autonomy, electoral and judicial reforms, state policing, gender inclusion, and fiscal governance.
Among the key issues to be reviewed are two bills focused on local government reforms.
One seeks to enshrine local governments as a constitutionally recognised tier of government with fixed tenure, while the other aims to establish an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to oversee local elections.
On national security, two bills propose the establishment of state police forces and state security councils to manage internal security at sub-national levels.
Six bills relating to fiscal reform will also be considered. These include a proposal to empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to enforce remittance compliance and streamline revenue disbursement, as well as a bill to mandate timeframes for the submission of appropriation bills by presidents and governors.
To promote gender inclusivity, the committee will evaluate a bill proposing additional legislative seats for women at the national and state levels.
Other proposals include the creation of national, state, and local government councils of traditional rulers to strengthen traditional institutions, and several bills on electoral reform, including provisions for independent candidacy and diaspora voting.
Judicial reform is another major area under review, with over 20 bills addressing issues such as fixed judgment delivery timelines and expanded jurisdiction for election tribunals.
The committee will also review proposals to devolve federal powers by transferring certain items—such as labour and shipping—from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list, thereby enhancing the autonomy of state governments.
Mudashir urged Nigerians to actively participate in the public hearings, stressing the importance of citizen input in shaping the nation’s foundational legal document.
On Friday June 13, 2025, Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) revealed that the Senate is also considering a bill for the creation of a new state in the South-East geopolitical zone.
The proposed ‘Anim State’—which has passed second reading—is expected to be carved out of parts of Anambra and Imo states and is currently before the Constitution Review Committee.
The 2025 amendment exercise marks one of the most ambitious reviews of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution in recent history, with lawmakers signalling a willingness to tackle long-standing demands for restructuring, inclusion, and institutional reform.
