Rufus Okoro
The National Assembly (NASS) has begun deliberations on constitutional amendments that include proposals for the creation of 55 new states as well as 278 additional local government areas across Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos State, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review — reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to delivering “people-centred and timely” amendments.
He urged lawmakers to work diligently toward submitting the first batch of proposed amendments to state Houses of Assembly before the end of the year.
“It has been a long journey to bring together the Senate and House of Representatives’ Constitution Amendment proposals, which touch on several sections and subject matters,” Barau said.
“We have been engaging constituents, stakeholders, institutions, and civil society groups over the past two years through town halls, public hearings, and interactive sessions.
“The result is what we have today — 69 bills, 55 requests for state creation, two boundary adjustments, and 278 requests for new local governments,” he added.
Barau expressed optimism that the committees could make substantial progress within the two-day session, despite the complexity of the issues involved.
“It won’t be an easy task to complete in two days, but I believe we can achieve it, especially since we’ve assured Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the State Assemblies before the end of this year,” he noted.
The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, called for unity and patriotism among lawmakers during the review process.
“We are here as one committee — there should be no division between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Our guiding principle should be the interest of Nigerians,” he emphasized.
Amending the 1999 Constitution has long been a challenging process, often hampered by political disagreements, and regional interests,
It'snoteworthy that the requirement for constitutional amendment is that at least two-third of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly would approve any proposed amendment.
