News Investigators/ A civil society organisation (CSO), Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), has said that creation of additional states is not the solution to Nigeria’s problems.
Director-General of the centre, Gabriel Nwambu, who stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said rather than solving the country’s myriad of problems, creation of more states would aggravate them.
He said that the recent proposals for the creation of 31 new states, received by the House of Representatives, needed critical examination.
According to him, as the county navigates through its economic challenges, it is imperative that governance reform is approached with the understanding of current realities.
“It is clear that the creation of additional states is not a viable solution to our nation’s pressing issues and, in fact, could exacerbate the situation we are working hard to overcome.
“As it stands, Nigeria is currently composed of 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory. A disconcerting number of these states are not financially viable.
“Many states are unable to meet their basic obligations, such as paying the minimum wage of ₦70,000.
“The crux of the matter is that some states have reached a point of insolvency, making the idea of creating new ones — a process that demands additional financial resources —even more untenable.
“Rather than resolving the existing state-level inefficiencies, the introduction of new states will only compound the financial burdens on an already strained federation,” he said.
Mr Nwambu described the timing of the proposals as troubling, especially as discussions aimed at reducing the cost of governance in Nigeria were still on.
“The addition of 31 new states will inherently lead to an increase in legislative assemblies, senators and members of the house of representatives, thereby inflating the political structure rather than streamlining it.
“Rather than focusing on mechanisms to enhance governance efficiency, we would instead be entrenching a model that is financially unsustainable,” he said.
The director-general further stated that the more pressing issues facing Nigeria, such as insecurity, unemployment, inadequate healthcare and dwindling infrastructure should be given adequate attention and resources.
According to him, creation of new states distracts from tackling these fundamental concerns.
“It is crucial to consider how we can strengthen the existing governance structures, enhance service delivery and ensure that government revenues transparently address the needs of our citizens rather than struggling under the weight of new states.
“The Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness strongly condemns any proposal for creation of new states in Nigeria.
“Such actions will not only worsen our current economic quagmire but can also lead to heightened regional disparities and escalate governance costs,” he said.
Mr Nwambu said that state creation was also capable of distracting the attention of policy makers from the critical reforms and policies necessary to improve the lives of Nigerians across the country.
“We, therefore, urge policy makers, opinion leaders and the general public to prioritise pressing developmental needs over cosmetic political restructuring.
“The focus should remain on enhancing the efficiency and viability of the existing states, tackling the economic challenges head-on and fostering on true national unity.
“The call for new states is neither a panacea to our problems nor a justifiable use of national resources at this time.
NAN
