A civil society organisation (CSO), the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), has said that creating additional states is not the solution to Nigeria’s problems.

The centre’s director-general, Gabriel Nwambu, stated this in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Abuja, noting that rather than solving the country’s myriad of problems, more states would aggravate them.

“It is clear that the creation of additional states is not a viable solution to our nation’s pressing issues and, in fact, could exacerbate the situation we are working hard to overcome,” he warned.

“Such actions will not only worsen our current economic quagmire but can also lead to heightened regional disparities and escalate governance costs.”

He said the recent proposals for the creation of 31 new states received by the House of Representatives needed critical examination.

According to him, as the country navigates through its economic challenges, governance reform must be approached with an understanding of current realities.

He said it was worrisome that some states are not financially stable and are unable to meet basic obligations, including paying the N70,000 minimum wage.

“The crux of the matter is that some states have reached a point of insolvency, making the idea of creating new ones — a process that demands additional financial resources —even more untenable.

“Rather than resolving the existing state-level inefficiencies, the introduction of new states will only compound the financial burdens on an already strained federation,” he said.

Mr Nwambu described the timing of the proposals as troubling, especially as discussions aimed at reducing the cost of governance in Nigeria were still on.

“The addition of 31 new states will inherently lead to an increase in legislative assemblies, senators and members of the House of Representatives, thereby inflating the political structure rather than streamlining it.

“Rather than focusing on mechanisms to enhance governance efficiency, we would instead be entrenching a model that is financially unsustainable,” he said.

The director-general further stated that the more pressing issues facing Nigeria, such as insecurity, unemployment, inadequate healthcare and dwindling infrastructure, should be given adequate attention and resources.

According to him, the creation of new states distracts from tackling these fundamental concerns.

“It is crucial to consider how we can strengthen the existing governance structures, enhance service delivery and ensure that government revenues transparently address the needs of our citizens rather than struggling under the weight of new states.

Mr Nwambu said state creation was also capable of distracting the attention of policymakers from the critical reforms and policies necessary to improve the lives of Nigerians across the country.

“We, therefore, urge policymakers, opinion leaders and the general public to prioritise pressing developmental needs over cosmetic political restructuring,” he said.

(NAN)