Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba has called on the National Assembly to return Nigeria to a regional governance system instead of creating additional states.
Agbakoba proposed that the National Assembly should merge the existing 36 states into six or eight regions, each governed by regional leaders.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Agbakoba criticized the push for more state creation, calling it a misplaced priority.
Bills proposing the creation of new states have recently passed the second reading in the National Assembly. However, Agbakoba argued that the focus should be on restructuring the country into regional governments.
“Creating additional states during these challenging economic times will inevitably increase the number of National Assembly members, ministers, local governments, and other officials, thereby escalating the cost of governance,” Agbakoba said.
He highlighted the struggles many Nigerians face, including rising food prices and the threat of insurgents, bandits, and terrorists abducting people for ransom in various states.
Agbakoba concluded, “The National Assembly should prioritize returning the country to a regional system by consolidating the 36 states into six or eight regions or geopolitical zones, each with a leader. We need to move away from state creation and adopt a regional system of government.”
