National Assembly approves new state for South East
The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has unanimously approved the creation of an additional state in the South East geopolitical zone, raising the region’s total to six.
The landmark decision was reached during a two-day retreat in Lagos, where the committee reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.
Currently, the South East has five states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—fewer than the six or seven that make up other geopolitical zones.
The session was chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
Kalu, who has long advocated for the creation of a new state in the South East, reaffirmed that the demand was rooted in equity, justice, and fairness, arguing that no region should remain structurally disadvantaged.
Following extensive deliberations, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The motion received unanimous approval from all committee members.
In a related development, the joint committee also set up a subcommittee to further examine the creation of additional states and local government areas across the six geopolitical zones, noting that 278 proposals were submitted for consideration.
In his closing remarks, Senator Barau Jibrin urged members to build consensus among their colleagues in both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to ensure the proposal is passed when presented for voting.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” Jibrin said. “By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the State Houses of Assembly.”
The approval marks a major step toward balancing Nigeria’s federal structure and addressing long-standing demands for equitable state representation in the South East.
