Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, expressed skepticism about the agitation for additional states in the South-East. He argues that this approach will not address the region’s underlying issues.
Agbakoba advocates for a return to regional governments rather than creating more states. He believes that the National Assembly should amend the current constitution or draft a new one to facilitate this change, which would be more beneficial for Nigeria’s development.
The House of Representatives recently advanced a bill for the creation of Etiti State, which aims to address regional imbalances and governance efficiency. Despite support from various lawmakers, Agbakoba contends that this will not resolve deeper issues like hunger, insecurity, and unemployment.
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He points out that many of Nigeria’s 36 states are economically unviable and creating more would only increase governance costs. Instead, he proposes collapsing the current states into six to eight regions, each led by a regional leader, as a more sustainable governance model.
Agbakoba reminisces about the successful regional governments led by notable figures such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Michael Okpara. He believes that returning to this system is essential for Nigeria to overcome its current political and economic challenges.
