Kwara Must Change disagrees with proposal for creation of additional 31 new states

●Says proposal is ill-conceived, unrealistic, and suspicious political agenda

Kwara Must Change, a leading Pro-Democracy group and advocate for good governance and political accountability, has condemned the recent proposal for the creation of 31 new states in Nigeria, calling it an unrealistic, baseless, and diversionary agenda that does not address the real challenges facing the country.

The proposal, which emerged from the National Assembly’s constitutional amendment deliberations, suggests a massive restructuring of Nigeria’s political map by nearly doubling the number of states from 36 to 67.

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However, Kwara Must Change said it saw this as an ill-conceived move that prioritized political interests over national development.

According to Kwara Must Change State coordinator, Seko Jibril, Nigeria was already struggling to sustain the current 36 states, most of which were financially dependent on federal allocations due to their inability to generate sufficient internal revenue.

“Creating additional 31 states would worsen Nigeria’s economic woes, increase government expenditure, and further deepen inefficiency in governance,” he stated.

Instead of expanding the number of states, Kwara Must Change urged policymakers to focus on Strengthening existing state structures to become self-sufficient, Reducing the cost of governance by cutting unnecessary expenditures and continue to implement true federalism mechanism, which empowered regions to drive their own development.

“The push for new states is not driven by genuine economic or developmental considerations but rather by political ambitions and ethnic sentiments.

“The current reality is that many existing states cannot even pay workers’ salaries without federal support. Adding more states will only lead to more governments-in-waiting, more bureaucracy, and more political offices to be shared—all at the expense of the people,” it said.

Kwara Must Change called on Nigerians to reject this unnecessary expansion and instead demand policies that prioritize economic diversification rather than political restructuring.

The group warned that approving this state creation proposal would only serve the interests of the political elite, while the common people would continue to suffer from poor governance, economic hardship, and lack of basic infrastructure.

“Nigeria needs strategic economic and governance reforms, not needless and suspicious political expansion. Kwara Must Change remains committed to ensuring that governance in Nigeria is focused on real development, not political patronage,” it stated.