By Pascal Ibe

Claim

Many Facebook pages claimed that the Nigerian Senate has approved 12 new States across the country’s six Geopolitical zones.

Verdict

This claim is FALSE. The Senate only received a new proposal for the creation of 31 States and 18 Local Government Areas, as its committee had only directed the conduct of public hearings on the constitution review.

Full Text

Nigeria, a nation brimming with immense potential and a vibrant populace, finds itself at a critical juncture. Decades of unfulfilled promises, systemic challenges, and a fluctuating global landscape necessitate a fundamental re-evaluation of its operational frameworks and strategic vision. The clarion call for “new” approaches, “new” institutions, and a “new” mindset is not merely a matter of rhetorical flourish but an urgent, existential requirement for sustainable development, peace, and prosperity.

Since 2025, the call for the creation of new States in Nigeria has been ringing loud, even though many citizens opined that this is not the country’s priority at the moment.

Regarding this, Facebook pages have claimed that the Nigerian Senate has approved 12 new States across the country’s six geopolitical zones

Crusader Radio, IgbereTV were among the Facebook pages that published the claim on 18th July 2025.

The claim reads, “BREAKING!!! Senate Reportedly Approves Creation Of 12 New States Across Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Senate has approved the creation of 12 new states across the country’s six geo-political zones in a landmark legislative move aimed at enhancing equity, representation, and grassroots governance.

“The approval followed the adoption of the report by the Senate Committee on State Creation, which passed through its third and final reading on the floor of the upper chamber on Thursday.

“According to the report, the creation of the new states is the result of extensive nationwide consultations, public hearings, and memoranda submitted by various stakeholders, including state governments, traditional institutions, and civil society groups.

The newly approved states are as follows:

South West:

Ijebu State – Carved out of Ogun State

Ibadan State – Carved out of Oyo State

South East:

Anim State – From parts of Anambra and Imo States

Adada State – From Enugu State

South South:

Toru-Ibe State – Drawn from sections of Ondo, Edo, and Delta States

Obolo State – From Akwa Ibom State

North East:

Savanna State – From Borno State

Amana State – From Adamawa State

North West:

Tiga State – From Kano State

Gurara State – From Southern Kaduna

North Central:

Okura State – From Kogi State

Apa State – From Benue State

“The Senate said the move is intended to correct perceived imbalances in state representation, address developmental gaps, and bring governance closer to the people in underserved areas.

“Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended his colleagues for what he described as “a courageous and unifying decision,” noting that the passage aligns with the aspirations of many Nigerians who have clamored for new states over the years.

“A government gazette detailing the boundaries, administrative structures, and transitional guidelines for the new states is expected to be published in the coming weeks.

“The proposal will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence and then to the President for assent, in line with constitutional provisions.

“If fully ratified, the development will raise the number of states in Nigeria from 36 to 48, marking the first major state creation exercise in the country since 1996.

Nairaland and another Facebook user also shared this claim.

Reacting to this claim, a commenter, Ibrahim Abubakar lamented that this is unacceptable unless Niger State is divided the state is too wide grassroots are not getting the impact of the government

Many others who commented believe this claim to be true.

FACTWATCH Nigeria observed that this claim is spreading fast, that’s why we decided to run a check on it.

Verification

First, FACTWATCH Nigeria observed that as of 18th July, when this claim began to circulate online, the Nigerian Senate had on 14th July adjourned till 22nd to mourn the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on Sunday in a London hospital. This indicates that the Nigerian National Assembly hasn’t held any plenary since 14th July. This shows that the claim does not have any element of truth.

We also noticed that this claim lacks critical details about the creation of new States in Nigeria, such as the designation of who issued the press statement from the Senate, as well as the date it was issued. We found out that there’s nothing like the Committee on State Creation as stated in the claim. Rather, the Committee on Constitution Review which oversees the process of new States creation in Nigeria

Further search led us to a publication on 4th July, which reported that the Senate only received a new proposal for the creation of 31 States and 18 Local Government Areas.

According to Premium Times, the Senate Committee on Constitution Review (CRC) received 31 proposals for the creation of new states and 18 requests for the establishment of additional local government areas from various interest groups in the country.

The statement outlined the committee’s programme ahead of the zonal public hearings on the constitution review, scheduled to take place from 4 to 5 July.

The hearings will take place simultaneously across six geopolitical zones, with one city in each zone selected as the host.

However, the outcome of this hasn’t been made public as of 18th July 2025.

Also, on 2nd July, the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution disclosed that it received 46 formal requests for the creation of new states, alongside 117 demands for new local government areas across Nigeria. The proposals, submitted by various interest groups, span all six geopolitical zones.

The report by Guardian Nigeria disclosed the list of proposed states as released by the committee.

Not the first time

In February 2025, the House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution proposed the creation of 31 additional states in the country.

However, a few weeks later, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, revealed that all proposals for the 30 new states failed constitutional requirements.

Conclusion

The Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives have only received a proposal for the creation of new States and Local Government Areas, with no approval yet.