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Fact-Check: Nigeria Lawmakers Propose Creation of 31 New States

Verdict: True

Evidence

The claim is accurate based on verified reports from Nigerian media outlets and parliamentary proceedings. The House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, formally proposed creating 31 new states during a February 6, 2025 plenary session[2][5][7].

The proposal seeks to:

Increase Nigeria’s states from 36 to 67 sub-national governments[5]
Address regional representation gaps, particularly in the South-East which would gain its “6th state”[7]
Transform Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) into a full-fledged state[4][7]

Proposed State Breakdown

Region	Proposed States	Source States
North-Central	Okun, Okura, Confluence, Benue Ala, Apa, FCT State	Kogi, Benue, FCT
North-East	Amana, Katagum, Savannah, Muri	Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba
South-East	Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, Aba	Enugu, Imo, Abia

Constitutional Requirements

The proposal must clear multiple constitutional hurdles[6]:

Two-thirds majority approval in National Assembly
Referendum with two-thirds majority support in affected areas
Simple majority approval from all state legislatures
Presidential assent

Controversies

The proposal faces opposition from:

Afenifere (Yoruba socio-cultural group) – calls it “ridiculous”[2]
Arewa Consultative Forum (Northern group) – questions economic viability[2][4]
Legal experts like Mike Ozekhome SAN – labels it “wasteful”[7]

Sources with Clickable Links

Conclusion

The claim is verified as true through multiple credible reports, though the proposal faces significant legal and political challenges. Current parliamentary proceedings confirm active consideration of the measure, despite widespread skepticism about its feasibility.

Relevant Image(s)

Note: No images available from text-based sources. For visual references, see video thumbnails from related YouTube coverage:

Facts checked on: Nigeria Lawmakers Propose Creation of 31 New States