creation of states in nigeria by eguriase s.m. okaka

CREATION OF STATES IN NIGERIA BY EGURIASE S. M. OKAKA Nigeria is located in West Africa. It is one of the most populous nations in Africa. Looking at the country one is tempted to think how it’s developed into 36 states as it is today or as at the time of writing this article. My late father was the first person who told me about the developments of states in Nigeria. It started with regions before developing into states as it is today. Nigeria was organized into three regions in 1946. The division of Nigeria into three regions was as a result of the emergence of the Richards Constitution of 1946. The three regions were: Northern, Eastern and Western Regions. In 1963, the fourth region was created when Nigeria became a republican nation on 1st of October, 1963. This was called Mid-Western Region. Thus, the regions in Nigeria were: • Northern Regions • Eastern Region • Western Region • Mid-Western The Northern region is occupied by these major ethnic groups: Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Bassa Gubi, Tiv, Idoma, Igbira, and Igala. The Eastern region is occupied by these major ethnic groups. These ethnic groups include: The Igbo, The Mbembe, The Ikwere, The Ijaw, The Efik, The Ibibio, and The Anang.

Major Ethnic Groups in the Western Region The following are some of the major ethnic groups in the Western Region: The Yoruba, the Egun, the Ijaw, the Awori. Major Ethnic Groups in the Mid-Western Region The following are some of the major ethnic groups in the Mid-Western Region include: the Edo, the Urhobo, the Itsekiri, the Etsako, the Anioma, and the Esan. States Created out of the Four Early Region • Northern Region – North Western State North Central State North Eastern State Kano State • Eastern Region East Central State South Eastern State Rivers State • Western Region Lagos State Western State • Mid-Western State Benue Plateau State Kware State Mid-western State States Creation in Nigeria The creation of states in Nigeria started in May 1967. These states were carved out of the early four regions. General Yakubu Gowon was the then military Head of State of Nigeria that first created states. More states were later created in 1976, 1987, 1991, and 1996. In 1967, General Yakubu Gowon created twelve states. These states include: North Western State North Central State North Eastern State Western State Mid-Western State East Central State South Eastern State Kano State Kwara State Lagos Benue Plateau State Rivers In 1976, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed created an additional seven state making it nineteen states as at 1976. The states are: Bauchi State Benue State Borno State Niger State Imo State Ogun State Ondo State In 1987 General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida created two additional states making it twenty-one states as at 1987. The states include: Akwa Ibom State and Katsina State. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida went further to create an additional nine states making it thirty states as at 1991. The states include: Abia State Delta State Enugu State Jigawa State Kebbi State Kogi State Osun State Taraba State Yobe State In 1996, General Sani Abacha created an additional six states making it thirty-six states as at 1996. These states are: Bayelsa State Ebonyi State Ekiti State Gombe State Nasarawa State Zamfara State The states creation in Nigeria started from 1967 by General Yakubu Gowon and since that era subsequent Heads of State under the military regime have created more states in addition to what they met. Today we have 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja. By Eguriase S. M. Okaka