by Ayo Akinfe
[1] I have repeatedly said that the British colonialists need to be given credit for creating 40 provinces in Nigeria. They were spot on in understanding the make-up of the country. Our current 36 states are based on these 40 provinces but I think we need to make them 42
[2] Many Nigerians oppose state creation because they think that they are automatically parasitic. However, that is just euphorbia. We can establish rules for state creation, with revenue targets being the number one criteria. If Nigeria wants to become a $1trn economy by 2030, she needs to create 42 states and lay down the marker for the newcomers. They must show the old states how things are done by generating revenue that not only covers their running costs but also provides a surplus
[3] I subscribe to this 42 state formula, which each federating unit generating at least $10bn in internally generated revenue:
[1] Bayelsa State – Yenagoa
[2] West Izon State – Patani
[3] Rivers State – Port Harcourt
[4] Cross River State – Calabar
[5] Akwa Ibom State – Uyo
[6] Edo State – Benin
[7] Delta State – Warri
Northeast
[1] Mambilla State – Gashaka
[2] Taraba State – Jalingo
[3] Adamawa State – Yola
[4] Borno State – Maiduguri
[5] Yobe State – Damaturu
[6] Bauchi State – Bauchi
[7] Gombe State – Gombe
Southeast
[1] Anioma State – Asaba
[2] Orashi State – Omoku
[3] Anambra State – Awka
[4] Imo State – Owerri
[5] Enugu State – Enugu
[6] Abia State – Umuahia
[7] Ebonyi State – Abakaliki
North-Central
[1] Abuja State – Abuja
[2] Gurara State – Kafanchan
[3] Benue State – Makurdi
[4] Plateau State – Jos
[5] Nasarawa State – Lafia
[6] Kogi State – Lokoja
[7] Niger State – Minna
Southwest
[1] Odo Oya State – Ilorin
[2] Oyo State – Ibadan
[3] Ogun State – Abeokuta
[4] Lagos State – Ikeja
[5] Ondo – Akure
[6] Ekiti – Ado-Ekiti
[7] Osun – Oshogbo
Northwest
[1] Sokoto State – Sokoto
[2] Kebbi State – Birnin Kebbi
[3] Kaduna State – Kaduna
[4] Katsina State – Katsina
[5] Kano State – Kano
[6] Jigawa State – Dutse
[7] Zamfara State – Gusua
[4] Mambilla State will be carved out out of current Taraba State. What I have in mind is a state made of about 30,000 square kilometres, of which about 20,000 square kilometres is a nature reserve. Mambilla State will become the world’s largest wildfire sanctuary with the largest number of lions, impala, buffalo, lions, hyenas, giraffe, buffalo, zebras, crocodiles, leopards, cheetahs, etc anywhere on earth. It will be a state for animals rather than humans
[5] Orashi State, populated by the Ikwerre people will be carved out of current Rivers State. We are looking at Igbo-speaking riverine people, so we must tap into their industrial nature. Nigeria has 853km of Atlantic coastline yet does not have a marine economy. Orashi State, made up of Igboid people like the Ikwerre, Etche, Ubani, etc, will be one massive ship yard where we build cargo ships, petroleum tankers, containers, speedboats, etc. Orders must come in from over the world
[6] Anioma State with Asaba as its capital, will be given a mandate to be the policeman of the River Niger. This Anioma State will straddle the River Niger stretching from Agbor in current Delta State and encompass the whole of the Anambra West Local Government Area, including urban centres like Onitsha, Atani, Mmiata and Nzam. Anioma State government will be given the mandate to build at least six River Niger crossings. I want to see Ebu-Umuenwelum, Akwukwu Igbo-Mmiata, Illah-Nzam, Aboh-Atani and two Asaba-Onitsha crossings. Also, Anioma State will be empowered to build Africa’s largest hydro-electric power plant. Just imagine building an artificial set of rapids at say Illah and creating a waterfall that can generate 5,000MW of electricity. I also want to see unprecedented innovations like underwater railway lines, overhead aquariums that stretch across the river, dolphins parks, specialist fishing colonies, etc
[7] Made up of the Ijaws in Ondo and Delta state, West Izon State will not be short of natural resources. In an ideal world, it would have a 20,000MW gas-fired power plant that can electrify the whole of Nigeria. It will also have edible oil processing plants, marine seafood plants, boat making, container manufacturing, shipbuilding, etc. We just need to look at the strides made by China and South Korea in maritime to envisage the future
[8] I want to see Abuja State created out of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) just as happened with Lagos in 1967. In 2025, the FCT overtook Lagos State as the top destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nigeria, attracting $3.04bn. From what I can see, it is going to become a financial centre like the City of London or Frankfurt
[9] Made up of the Yorubas in Kwara and Kogi states, Odo Oya State will become the cash crop basket of the southwest geo-political zone. In the days of the old Oyo Empire, the River Niger used to be known as Odo Oya. This part of the country has always been home to major national agro-processing facilities like the Jebba paper mill, the sugar plant, the tobacco company, etc. Back in the 2000s, Kwara State successfully wooed several of the white farmers from Zimbabwe who President Robert Mugabe expelled and this commercial agriculture programme needs to be expanded upon. We need to see cities like Ilorin, Offa, Jebba, Omu-Aran, Oro, etc, converted into huge industrial estates that convert primary agricultural commodities into finished goods
[10] Southern Kaduna is culturally part of the Middle Belt as the people there are Christians who share identities with the people of Plateau and Nasarawa states. I want to see their Gurara State become Nigeria’s tourist haven. For starters, the Gurara Waterfalls must look to match what Canada has achieved with the Niagra Waterfalls both as a tourist attraction and as a source of hydroelectric power. Gurara Waterfalls could easily generate say 10,000MW of power if developed. When it comes to tourism, Kajuru Castle, a luxury villa, built by a German expatriate who lived there in the 1980s is the way to go. Built with one meter thick granite stone in a fanciful medieval-inspired Romanesque style, the castle is adorned with turrets, an armory and a dungeon
I agree with the focus on revenue generation as a key criterion for new states, but I think it’s important to also consider factors like ethnic harmony and social infrastructure. Some states might struggle to generate that level of revenue without a solid base in education, healthcare, and employment.