Kaduna and Kano State governments have formally requested the creation of a new state and 26 additional Local Government Areas as part of ongoing efforts to amend Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
The proposal was presented on Saturday, July 12, during the North West Zonal Public Hearing on the constitution review, which included stakeholders from Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States, among them civil society groups, traditional rulers, and government officials.
Speaking on behalf of Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Deputy Governor Hadiza Balarabe described Nigeria’s current federal system as overly centralised and unresponsive to local needs.
“Our current arrangement does not reflect the principle of subsidiarity,” she said.
She further called for a new constitutional structure that grants states control over natural resources within their borders, along with the power to legislate on local matters.
The Kaduna government also renewed its push for the creation of state police. Governor Sani, a former senator, had backed the idea during his time in the 9th National Assembly but said it was stalled by political opposition.
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“Security cannot be national if it is not local. Kaduna is ready to support constitutional amendments to establish state police,” Balarabe said.
Kano State, on its part, presented an ambitious request for a new state carved out of its territory and for its current 44 LGAs to be increased to 70.
The demand was made by Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Gwarzo, who represented Governor Abba Yusuf at the hearing.
“We strongly advocate for restructuring and align with the national call for the creation of more states, provided they meet the criteria of Section 8 of the Constitution,” Gwarzo said.
Kano also pushed for constitutional autonomy for local governments, recommending amendments to Sections 2(2), 7, and 162(5) of the 1999 Constitution to officially recognise LGAs as a separate and functional tier of government.