to explain state creation in Nigeria.

In the 19th century, the British Empire started to conquer parts of Nigeria and establish control and authority over the conquered regions. These areas were called Protectorates. These protectorates were the Northern Protectorates, Oil River and Lagos. Later, in 1914, these protectorates were amalgamated, which provided the birth of the new country – Nigeria.
In 1954, British rule recognized three major regions of Nigeria, which were the Western, Eastern and Northern Provinces. In 1960, Nigerians took their country back from the British Empire. The Great Britain handed the rule of the country to Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was a Governor-General of the region. Still, Sir Tafawa Balewa was elected as a prime minister of Nigeria in 1960 and was killed six years later.

States creation in Nigeria and their creators

STATE CREATION SINCE 1967
Between 1960 and 1966, Nigeria still operated the regional arrangement. However, between 1967 and 1996,
the country had to be split into thirty-six States. The first state creation exercise was undertaken by the regime
of Yakubu Gowon in 1967. Prior to Gowon’s ascension to power, Aguiyi Ironsi was Nigeria’s first military Head
of State but following his assassination in July 1966, Gowon became the new military ruler of the country. He
dissolved the four regions in the country and subsequently created twelve States on May 5, 1967. Six States were
carved out from the former northern region. These were: the North-Western State, the North-Eastern State,
Kano State, North Central State, Benue-Plateau State and Kwara State. The former western region was split
into two States: the Western State and Lagos State. The former mid-western region became the Mid-Western
State, while the former eastern region had three new States carved out from it. These were the East Central
State, Rivers State and the South-Eastern State. Another state creation exercise took place in 1976 following the
ouster of Yakubu Gowon in a military coup led by Murtala Mohammed. On assumption of office, he (Murtala
Mohammed) created the following States: Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Imo, Niger, Ogun and Ondo, bringing the
total number of States to nineteen, from the original twelve States created by Gowon. It took another eleven
years (1987) for State creation exercise to be undertaken in the country. That was under the regime of Ibrahim
Babangida (1985 – 1993).
In 1987, Babangida created two States namely, Akwa Ibom and Katsina. He also created nine additional States
in 1991. These were: Abia, Enugu, Delta, Jigawa, Kebbi, Osun, Kogi, Taraba and Yobe. It is instructive to note that
Akwa Ibom State was carved out from Cross River State, while Katsina State was created from Kaduna State.
Similarly, Adamawa and Taraba States were carved out from the former Gongola State, and Enugu State out of
Anambra State, while Edo and Delta States replaced the old Bendel State. Also, Yobe State was created from
Borno State, and Jigawa out of Kano State, while Kebbi and Osun States were carved out from Sokoto and Oyo
States respectively. Kogi State came from Kwara and Benue States. Altogether, there were thirty (30) States by
1991. Sani Abacha became Nigeria’s next military Head of State in 1993 after ousting the Ernest Shonekan-led
Interim National Government (ING). Due to stringent agitations for more States, Abacha set up the National
Constitutional Conference (NCC) which recommended, among other things, the creation of new States. Thus,
on October 1, 1996, he created six additional States namely, Ebonyi (from Abia and Enugu States), Bayelsa
(from Rivers State), Nasarawa (from Plateau State), Gombe (from Bauchi), and Ekiti (from Ondo). Arranged in
an alphabetical order, year of creation, and the rulers that created them, the States created over the years are:


CREATION OF STATES IN NIGERIA, 1967-1996:

Yakubu Gowon, 1967
East Central
Benue-Plateau
Kano State
Kwara State
Lagos State
Mid-Western
North-Eastern
North-Central
North-Western
Rivers State
South-Eastern
Western State



Murtala Mohammed, 1976

Anambra,
Bauchi,
Benue,
Imo,
Niger,
Ogun
Ondo
Oyo
Plateau
Sokoto

Ibrahim Babangida, 1987
Akwa Ibom
Katsina

Ibrahim Babangida, 1991
On 27 August 1991, Babangida created nine more states:
Abia,
Enugu,
Delta,
Jigawa,
Kebbi,
Osun,
Kogi,
Taraba
Yobe.
Bringing the total number of states in Nigeria to thirty in 1991.

Sani Abacha, 1996
Bayelsa
Ebonyi
Ekiti
Gombe
Nasarawa
Zamfara
Thus, there are currently a total of thirty-six States in Nigeria. These are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra,
Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano,
Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba,
Yobe, and Zamfara.
The Federal Capital Territory is a federal territory in central Nigeria. Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria is located in this territory. FCT was formed in 1976 from parts of the states of Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi. Abuja has been the capital of Nigeria since 1991