The National Assembly has kicked off intense discussions on significant constitutional reforms that could lead to the creation of 55 new states and 278 additional local government areas nationwide.
Ismail Mudashir, the Special Adviser to Deputy Senate President Senator Barau I. Jibrin on Media and Publicity, announced this development in Abuja on Friday, October 24, 2025.
The announcement came during the opening session of a two-day joint retreat involving the Senate and House of Representatives committees tasked with reviewing the 1999 Constitution, held in Lagos.
Senator Jibrin, who also heads the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, emphasized the legislature’s dedication to delivering “people-centred and timely” constitutional amendments.
He urged lawmakers to work diligently toward their goal of transmitting the first batch of amendments to state legislatures before the end of the year, reinforcing the lawmakers’ pledge to reshape Nigeria’s constitutional landscape.
“It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and the House of Representatives’ Constitution Amendment proposals that cut across several sections and deal with different subject matters,” he said.
“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organizations and interest groups in town hall meetings, interactive sessions and public hearings, harvesting and synthesizing views and perspectives which has ultimately culminated to what we have here today — 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments and 278 local government creation requests.”
Barau noted that members are expected to resolve these issues and make recommendations to both chambers, expressing optimism that progress could be achieved within the two-day session.
“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the State Houses of Assembly before the end of this year,” he added.
While stressing the need for patriotism and unity in the review exercise, Barau, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged participants to avoid divisive tendencies.
“We are seated here as one committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’; we should be guided by the interests of Nigerians. I wish all of us a very fruitful deliberation and hope for recommendations that will meet the approval threshold of the provisions of Section 9 of the Constitution,” he said.
Efforts to amend Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution have consistently encountered major challenges, primarily because of the complicated amendment process and the need for approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Past attempts at constitutional changes have often been derailed by political disputes, regional rivalries, and contentious issues such as resource control, creation of new states, and the devolution of powers.
The most recent significant amendment initiative by the Ninth National Assembly managed to pass notable bills, including those securing financial autonomy for state legislatures and the judiciary.
However, key proposals like establishing state police and granting local government autonomy failed due to a lack of broad agreement.
Analysts note that the current constitutional review reflects a fresh political commitment, but the wide variety of proposals, especially regarding new states and local government creation, may once again challenge national unity and test lawmakers’ ability to reconcile broad ambitions with effective governance.
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