National Assembly pushes bold constitutional plan to create 55 new states and 278 local governments in Nigeria’s ongoing review process

National Assembly lawmakers have begun deliberations on sweeping constitutional amendments that could lead to the creation of 55 new states and 278 additional local government areas across Nigeria.

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Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, revealed the proposals at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos.

Barau, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, pledged that the legislature would deliver people-centred and timely reforms before the year’s end.

“It has been a long journey,” Barau said. “We have engaged our constituents, stakeholders, and civil society groups across town halls and public hearings, synthesising views that have led to 69 bills — including 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government proposals.”

Barau’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, confirmed the details in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.

The Deputy Senate President urged lawmakers to maintain unity and patriotism, stressing that the constitution review should not become divisive.

“There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’; we should be guided by the interests of Nigerians,” he said, adding that the committees must work swiftly to transmit the first set of amendments to state assemblies before year-end.

Efforts to amend Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution have long faced obstacles, from political rivalry to regional and resource-control disputes.

The previous amendment round by the Ninth Assembly achieved financial autonomy for state legislatures and the judiciary but failed on issues such as state police and local government autonomy.

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Analysts believe the National Assembly’s new review signals genuine political intent but caution that the large number of proposals—particularly around state creation—could once again test Nigeria’s unity and the legislature’s ability to balance ambition with governance reality.