NASS Joint Committee Approves Sixth State for South East, Rekindling Igbo Hopes for Equity

In a historic step toward addressing Nigeria’s regional imbalance, the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in the South East geopolitical zone.

The decision, reached at the end of a two-day retreat in Lagos, will raise the number of states in the South East from five to six — aligning the region more closely with other geopolitical zones that currently have six or seven states.

The retreat was chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu. The lawmakers deliberated on 55 proposals for state creation submitted from across the country.

Kalu, who has been one of the most consistent advocates for a sixth state in the South East, said the decision was anchored on fairness and equity.

“This decision is not about politics or sentiment. It is about fairness to a region that has, for too long, been short-changed in the federation’s structure,” Kalu said.

The motion for the new state was moved by Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State), receiving unanimous approval from the joint committee.

In a related move, the committee constituted a subcommittee to further consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geopolitical zones. The body is expected to review 278 proposals already submitted for consideration.

In his closing remarks, Barau Jibrin urged members to intensify consultations within both chambers of the National Assembly and across State Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolution succeeds when subjected to a constitutional vote.

“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 development marks a major step toward correcting what many describe as a structural injustice against the South East, which has long had the fewest number of states despite its economic and demographic significance.

Although the name and boundaries of the proposed state were not disclosed, sources at the retreat said the subcommittee would finalise details and engage relevant stakeholders before presenting a harmonised recommendation to the full committee.

If approved by two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least 24 State Houses of Assembly, the new state would officially become Nigeria’s 37th.