Nigerians woke up on Thursday, 6th of February 2925 to the realization that the Federal House of Representatives have come up with a proposal to create additional 31 states for Nigeria. Expectedly, this will bring the number of states in the country to 67. And this is in addition to the federal capital territory whose status stirred so much controversy during the process of determining the winner of the 2023 presidential election.
While the citizens await the manifestation of this proposal, it is important to put some perspectives into focus. Almost all the agitators for the creation of states in their areas based their demands on the need to separate from those they termed as oppressors that have continued to marginalize them. Another common reason for creating states, according to them is that it will help to bring development close to the people. Again, they view the issue as a way of generating employment for the people.
For the avoidance of doubts, the country was made up of three regions (3 states) at independence in 1960 (64 years ago). Today, the country has grown rapidly to 36 states and a federal capital territory. On the contrary, the United States of America with a population of about 100m people more that Nigeria has 50 states (after 248 years of independence in 1776). In 1912, she created 2 states as the need arose. After 47 years, she created another 2 in 1959. After sixty-six years, the US does not appear to be in a hurry to create more states.
In terms of employment, it could be correct to believe that dividing the country into smaller administrative units can ensure that more people from particular areas are offered means of livelihood.
But then, what kind of employments are the targets of those that think along this line? Of course, they hope that they can have governor and all other political office positions that are often shared among states’ citizens in addition to civil servants. Tiring of roads and construction of state secretariats can equally be accelerated.
All the factors advanced for the creation of new states notwithstanding, the fact remain that public service is only a vehicle for driving the strategies for development while the private sector is the main force that determines the development of a country. According to a recent report, only 9 out of the 36 states of the federation are in positions to finance their personnel budget for 2025 without relying on the normal monthly federal account allocation from Abuja. What this means is that 27 states are not viable enough to economically handle their affairs.
It therefore follows that before new states are created, efforts must be made towards ensuring that the existing ones are worth the effort and energy dissipated in their creation. Our farm lands must be free from Fulani herders’ attacks in order for communities to continue to be centers for the distribution of agricultural produce.
One of the reasons for self-determination in the south eastern part of the country is the imbalance in the number of states for the region that presently stand at five only as against six or seven for other geopolitical zones. This state of maltreatment must be addressed as a matter of urgency. It will not be proper that the south west for example gets an additional seven states to bring it to 13 while the south east’s addition of five states leads it to just ten sub national centers. This will tend to widen the already existing gap between the east and the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, if creation of states truly brings about developments as agitators are making people to believe, how come America that created only two states since 1959 is more developed than a country like Nigeria that has created more than 30 states within the same period?
As the debates continue and until the proposals are executed, those that are sincerely concerned about the well-being of Nigeria should begin to address issues such as ostentatious display of wealth in our society, youthful exuberance amongst up-coming Nigerian stars, get-rich-quick syndrome amongst the people, acts of democratic indiscipline among the nation’s political class, genuine payment of attention to social justice and so on.
Instead of taking the path of the least resistance at all times, let the citizens be engaged in truth and reconciliation commission as a way of solving the nation’s problems.
