New states: 31 excessive – Yiaga Africa

A Civic Society Organisation, Yiaga Africa, has criticised the proposal for the creation of 31 additional states in the country, describing it as excessive.

The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr Samson Itodo, said this in an interview with our reporter in Monday on Abuja.

Recall that recently the House of Representatives disclosed that it received a proposal for the creation of 31 additional states.

Itodo said that while it was reasonable to create more states for those zones that fall short, especially the South East, it would be stretching the already strained resources too far to create 31 more.

He noted that the demand for additional states in Nigeria, had been a persistent theme in constitutional debates, which was often driven by ethnic, political, and regional considerations rather than economic viability.

“While arguments for equity, particularly for the South East to achieve parity with other geopolitical zones are understandable, the proposal for 31 new states seems excessive, given the economic realities.

“Nigeria is already struggling with the sustainability of its 36 states, many of which depend heavily on federal allocations rather than internally generated revenue.

“Expanding the number of states without a strategic framework for economic viability, governance efficiency, and resource optimisation risks exacerbating the current fiscal crisis.

“A more pragmatic approach will be strengthening existing states, improving governance, and ensuring equitable resource distribution rather than multiplying administrative units that may further weaken the federation,” he said.

The Yiaga Africa executive director, explained that the figure was excessive as it would in the long run, require the establishment of more state assemblies, as well as increase the number of lawmakers both at the state and national levels.

According to him, the ripple effect of this will be increase in the political structure rather than checking it.

He advocated that rather than creating more states that would drain the nation’s already inadequate resources, attention should be on ways to enhance efficiency in governance.

“The addition of 31 new states may end up not satisfying the desire for parity, but create more challenges that would further lead to discontent and feeling of marginalisation,” he said.