Six new states may soon be created in Nigeria, following a proposal by the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review, which met during a two-day retreat in Lagos.

The retreat, co-chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, reviewed 69 constitutional amendment bills, including 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustment requests, and 278 local government creation proposals.

After extensive deliberations, the joint committee unanimously agreed that six additional states should be established, one from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. If approved, this move will increase the total number of states from 36 to 42.

Under the new arrangement, the South-South and South-West will each have seven states, the South-East will have six, while the North-West, North-East, and North-Central will each have seven states.

The committee’s resolution will be included in its formal report, expected to be presented to both chambers of the National Assembly in the first week of November.

A senior lawmaker involved in the discussions said the decision to support the creation of new states was reached unanimously by senators and representatives “in the spirit of fairness and equity.”

The lawmakers also agreed to set up a sub-committee to identify the specific regions or areas from which the proposed six states will be carved out. The Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, was appointed to lead this sub-committee.

A member of the sub-committee from the North-West zone assured that the team would “meticulously review all 55 state creation requests” to determine suitable areas for the new states, pledging fairness and transparency in the process.

However, creating new states will require a constitutional amendment, which must be supported by two-thirds of the National Assembly and two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly in all 36 states, a high threshold that has historically made such efforts difficult to achieve.

In recent months, pressure from groups advocating for new states has intensified. For instance, campaigners from Delta North have proposed the creation of Anioma State, which they want included in the South-East.

Similarly, in Oyo State, calls for Ibadan State have gained momentum. The demand was publicly presented to President Bola Tinubu during the coronation of Oba Rashidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan, with the monarch himself reiterating that his people wish for the state to be created before or by 2027.