Ikengaonline Editorial
The South-East geopolitical zone is the zone in Nigeria with the fewest states. While the North-West boasts of seven states, and the other zones each have six, the South-East lags behind with just five. This imbalance has persisted since October 1st, 1996, when Nigeria last conducted a state creation exercise. For nearly three decades, the South-East has been systematically disadvantaged in terms of federal allocations, appointments, and representation.
A nation, by its very essence, represents an endeavor to coalesce peoples of diverse histories, cultures, and convictions toward the pursuit of a collective purpose—be it the establishment of a unified defense, the promotion of economic prosperity, or the fostering of social harmony. However, it is universally acknowledged that no union is perfect.
Historical inequities often bestow advantage upon some while marginalising others, and the continuous effort to rectify these imbalances explains why even old democracies, such as the United States and Britain, recognise that nation-building is an ongoing process, ever requiring refinement.
Nigeria, a nation conceived out of colonial expediency by the British, is no exception to this truth. The 1914 amalgamation of disparate regions was primarily driven by administrative convenience, with scant regard for justice, equity, or the cultivation of a unified national identity. The colonial authorities exhibited little concern for the ethnic, religious, and cultural distinctions that characterised Nigeria’s diverse populations, thereby sowing the seeds of tension that would later permeate the fabric of the nation.
This indifference bequeathed Nigeria a legacy of profound historical injustices continued by successive civilian and military administrations, decades after the colonialists were gone. The stark disparity has stoked discontent, fueling secessionist sentiments and jeopardising the tenuous peace that binds the nation.
At the core of these enduring challenges lies the uneven distribution of political power, economic resources, and opportunities—a structural inequity that has disproportionately benefited certain regions while relegating others to the periphery. These imbalances manifest through unequal federal allocations, distorted political representation, and systematic marginalisation.
The South-East geopolitical zone is the zone in Nigeria with the fewest states. While the North-West boasts of seven states, and the other zones each have six, the South-East lags behind with just five. This imbalance has persisted since October 1st, 1996, when Nigeria last conducted a state creation exercise. For nearly three decades, the South-East has been systematically disadvantaged in terms of federal allocations, appointments, and representation.
This disparity extends beyond the number of states. The South-East is also shortchanged in the number of Local Government Areas, senatorial districts, and federal constituencies, leaving it with minimal federal presence—save for an overwhelming number of security checkpoints. Since the creation of Ebonyi State in 1996, the last state added to the South-East, trillions of Naira that should have flowed to the zone based on the number of states have been denied. In 2023, for instance, Ebonyi received a paltry N107.45 billion out of the N6.57 trillion shared among Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
At the zonal level, the oil-rich South-South received the largest allocation at N1.84 trillion, followed by the North-West and South-West with N1.20 trillion and N1.10 trillion respectively. In sharp contrast, the South-East was once again allocated the least, a meagre N680.59 billion. If we extrapolate from these figures, the South-East has lost at least N3.86 trillion in federal allocations over the last 28 years, not counting the billions that could have been sourced from donor agencies and Local Government allocations.
The impact is not merely financial. The additional state would have provided the South-East with more senatorial districts, federal constituencies, Local Government Areas, and federal institutions. This deprivation is one of the driving forces behind the increasing calls for self-determination, particularly among Igbo youths, who view the marginalisation of their region as too glaring to ignore.
Efforts to address this injustice have consistently faltered. In 2005, delegates at the Constitutional Conference reached a consensus to create an additional state in the South-East, but political maneuvering surrounding then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid derailed the bill. A similar recommendation during the 2014 National Conference under President Goodluck Jonathan also failed to materialise after his unsuccessful re-election bid.
Under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, the issue has once again resurfaced. Several South-Eastern members of the National Assembly have sponsored bills to rectify this imbalance. However, in today’s political landscape, without the active backing of the presidency, it is unlikely that such bills will receive serious consideration. The National Assembly today functions almost as an extension of the executive branch, and without the president’s influence, meaningful reforms remain elusive.
Opponents have often cited the supposed lack of consensus among South-Eastern stakeholders as a reason for inaction. This argument is fundamentally flawed. In any democracy, complete unanimity is neither expected nor required. What is needed is political will. If the government is truly committed to addressing this long-standing injustice, reaching a decision on how to create the additional state is far from insurmountable. Metrics such as population size, geographical propinquity, historical affiliation and other objective criteria can be used to guide the process.
It is commendable that President Tinubu recently signed into law the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill, an initiative that had been rebuffed by his predecessor. As stated in its founding documents, the bill seeks to address “many years of neglect of the region by subsequent federal administrations since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970.” The SEDC represents a step toward addressing the region’s longstanding socio-economic neglect.
Ikengaonline is convinced that while the SEDC is a positive development, the creation of an additional state in the South-East is imperative for achieving greater equity and fostering national unity.
It may not solve every issue that fuels the region’s agitation for inclusion, but it is a vital step toward rectifying historical injustices. At a time when Nigeria’s unity is under significant strain, addressing these grievances is more crucial than ever.
The question is no longer whether the creation of an additional state in the South-East is justified, but whether the political will exists to make it happen.
If the will exists, there is undoubtedly a way forward.
