The 2014 national conference, convoked by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, was a step towards restructuring Nigeria. But the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Bola Ahmed Tinubu as national leader, boycotted the conference, which brought together 492 Nigerians from all walks of life, including non-politicians and people living with disabilities, to dialogue on the way forward for the country. The party announced through Lai Mohammed, its interim national publicity secretary (as he then was), that it would not attend the conference. Obviously, APC did not see any reason to plot the graph for a new Nigeria with the conference. It would rather that Nigeria was pulled “from top to bottom”, a project it has successfully delivered.
However, one of the decisions of the conference was the physical restructuring of Nigeria into 54 states with the creation of 18 additional states and the creation of a mayoralty out of the Federal Capital Territory. That meant Abuja was to be administered by a mayor elected by the people, not a minister appointed by the President. It was also to have its own parliament elected by the people. This answers the long-standing demand against the injustice meted out to the original inhabitants of the entire territory that was carved out to become Nigeria’s capital territory.
For emphasis, the states created by the conference out of the 34 requests for new states are Aba, Adada, Anioma, Amana, Apa, Edu, Etiti, Ghari, Gurara, Ijebu, Kainji, Katagum, New Oyo, Njaba-Anim, Ogoja, Oil Rivers, Ose-Akoko and Savannah. Aba State was to have its capital at Aba, with Aba North, Aba South, Isiala-Ngwa North, Isiala-Ngwa South, Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West as local government areas. Adada State was to have its capital at Ukehe with Igbo-Etiti, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Isi-Uzo, Nsukka, Udenu and Uzo-Uwani as constituent local government areas. Also, Amana, which was to have its capital in Mubi, had Hong, Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North and Mubi South as LGAs.
Anioma was approved with its capital in Asaba, while Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South and Ukwuani were listed as its approved LGAs. On the other hand, Apa State was created out of the present Benue State, with Ado, Agatu, Apa, Obi, Ogbadibo, Oju, Okpokwu, Ohimini and Oturkpo as its LGAs but with the capital at Oturkpo. Edu State, whose capital city was Bida, was also to have Agaie, Bida, Edati, Gbako, Katcha, Lapai, Lavun and Mokwa as LGAs.
Etiti State was also carved out of the South East, with its capital at Lokpa-Nta, while Afikpo-North, Afikpo-South, Aninri, Awgu, Ehime Mbano, Isiukwuato, Ivo, Ohaozara, Oji River, Okigwe, Onicha, Onuimo, Orumba-North, Orumba-South and Umunneochi were carved out as constituting LGAs. Ghari State, with its capital at Dambatta, had Bagwai, Bichi, Dambatta, Dawakin Tofa, Gwarzo, Kabo, Kunchi, Makoda, Rimin Gado, Shanono, Tofa and Tsanyawa, and Gurara State, with capital at Kachia, would have Chikun, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaduna South, Kagarko, Kajuru, Kauru, Lere, Sanga and Zango-Kataf as LGAs.
There was also to be Ijebu State, which would have its capital at Ijebu-Ode with Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Ogun Waterside, Odogbolu, Remo North and Shagamu as LGAs, as well as Kainji State, which had Agwara, Borgu, Dango/Wasagu, Fakai, Kontagora, Magama, Mariga, Mashegu, Ngaski, Sakaba, Shanga, Rijau, Yauri and Zuru as local governments and Zuru as the capital city. Katagum State was also created with Azare as the capital and Damban, Ganjuwa, Giade, Itas/Gadau, Jama’are, Katagum, Misau, Shira and Zaki as LGAs while the New-Oyo State, with its capital at Iseyin, was to have Afijio, Atiba, Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Ogo Oluwa, Olorunsogo, Orelope, Orire, Oyo East, Saki East, Saki West and Surulere as local governments.
The conference also approved Njaba-Anim State, capital at Orlu, with Ideato North, Ideato South, Ihiala, Isu, Njaba, Nwangele, Nkwerre, Oguta, Ohaji/Egbema, Orlu, Orsu, Oru East and Oru West as constituent LGAs as well as Ogoja State, which had Bekwara, Boki, Etung, Ikom, Obanliku, Obubra, Obudu, Ogoja and Yala. Its capital was to be at Ogoja. Oil Rivers State was also created with Ahoada as capital and Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Akuku Toru, Andoni, Asari-Toru, Bonny, Degema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Opobo/Nkoro as local government areas. Next was Ose-Akoko State with its capital at Ikare and Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East, Akoko South West, Ose, Owo while Savannah state with its capital at Biu and Askira/Uba, Bayo, Biu, Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar, Shani as local government areas making up the list.
The most interesting thing about the physical restructuring was the opportunities it created for Nigerians. That aspect of the restructuring of Nigeria created opportunities for massive employment in the civil service of both the new and old states as well as in local government administrations. Even where Nigerians may not be interested in civil and public service jobs, they would also find new opportunities in private sector businesses that, as a necessity, must expand into the new states and local government areas. It was also new opportunities for developments and investments in all aspects of business –private proprietorships in construction, real estate, transportation, schools, trading, market development, airports, healthcare provision, private security firms, etc. That singular decision also offered opportunities for the demand for skilled and unskilled labour both in the state and local government areas. It was about the rapid development of Nigeria.
The decision also resolved the question of equality of states among the geopolitical zones of Nigeria. At the moment, the South East is still with five states while the North West has seven and all the others have six each. Resolving this, as the 2014 confab did, offered every geopolitical zone equal representation in the National Assembly with an equal number of local government areas. But APC boycotted it. The party did not believe in the conference and when it took over the government in 2015, it thrashed the recommendations of the conference. Despite pontificating on restructuring in its manifesto, APC openly demonstrated its aversion to restructuring. It even bluntly refused to look into the reports of its own committee, chaired by Nasir el-Rufai, on restructuring.
The failure of the APC government to see the job opportunities inherent in the decision to create additional states and local governments as per the 2014 national conference decision, to a large extent, contributed to the increase in the unemployment index in Nigeria now at over 33 per cent from 4.56 per cent in 2014. This also has a direct bearing on Nigeria’s poverty index. I always disagree with the argument that Nigeria may not have the financial resources to run the new states. Common sense says that if the volume of money lost to failed policy implementation, embezzlement, and, or theft, since 2015 was plowed into administering those 18 states perhaps, Nigeria would have made sensible progress.