National Conference 2014 Report: Creation of additional 18 States in Nigeria

After extensive consideration of Regionalism/Zones, Conference

decided as follows:

(i) The States shall be the federating units; and

(ii) Any group of States may create a self-funding Zonal Commission to promote economic development, good governance, equity, peace and 

security in accordance with the Constitution of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

STATE CREATION

The subject of State creation has remained a huge political issue in Nigeria. 

Conference examined the Reports of the 2005 National Political Reform 

Conference and the Report of the Presidential Committee On Review of 

Outstanding Issues from Recent Constitutional Conferences 2012 

(the Belgore Report) and after wide consultations and extensive deliberations and in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.

In addition, Conference therefore resolved as follows:

(i) In the spirit of reconciliation, equity, fair play and justice, there

shall be created an additional State for the South East Zone; and

(ii) That all other requests for State creation should be considered on

merit.

Conference approved the criteria for the creation of new States as

follows:

(1) Any new State sought to be created must be viable. In considering
viability, the following should be taken into consideration:

(a) Any new State should be economically viable;

(b) It should have human, natural and material resources;

(c) It should have a minimum land mass/water mass; and

(d) The viability of the existing State(s) should be taken into
consideration as well, so as not to create a situation where
new State(s) would leave the existing State(s) unviable.

(2) That State creation should be on the basis of parity between the
geo-political zones to ensure equality of Zones;

(3) Additional States should be created in each of the six (6) geopolitical
zones to bring the number of States in each zone to
nine (9);

(4) That eighteen (18) more States be created as follows:

1. Apa State from the present Benue State;
2. Edu State from Niger State;
3. Kainji State from the present Kebbi State;
4. Katagun State from the present Bauchi State; 
5. Savannah State from the present Borno State; 
6. Amana State from the present Adamawa State; 
7. Gurara State from the present Kaduna State;
8. Ghari State from the present Kano State;
9. Etiti State from the present South East Zone; 
10. Aba State from the present Abia State;
11. Adada State from the present Enugu State; 
12. Njaba-Anim State from the present Anambra and Imo States; 
13. Anioma State from the present Delta State; 
14. Ogoja State from the present Cross River State;
15. Ijebu State from the present Ogun State; 
16. New Oyo State from the present Oyo State;
17. That the third State to be created in the South –South Zone will be named later, along with its State Capital;
18. That the third State to be created in the South-West Zone will be named later, along with its State Capital;