The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review, has proposed the creation of six new states.
The proposal was one of the key resolutions of the two-day retreat, co-chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu in Lagos.
The joint committee considered 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests during the retreat.
During the consideration of the 55 requests for state creation, the joint committee unanimously resolved that six additional states should be created.
If approved, the number of states will increase from 36 to 42.
A state will, therefore, be created in each of the six geopolitical zones of the Northwest, Northeast, Northcentral, Southwest, Southsouth, and Southeast.
Consequently, Southsouth will have seven states; Southwest, seven; Southeast, six; Northwest, eight; Northeast, seven; and Northcentral, seven.
The resolution will form part of the report of the joint committee that is expected to be presented to both chambers of the National Assembly in the first week of November.
A principal officer said the resolution on state creation was unanimously supported by all lawmakers from both chambers in the spirit of fairness and equity.
He said the lawmakers also resolved to create a sub-committee to identify areas from which the six additional states will be carved.
The Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, will chair the Senate Committee to identify the areas.
