The Senate Bill 481, which passed first and second reading in the Senate in July 2024, is now part of the Constitution Review exercise. It was listed among the Bills reviewed in Kaduna, at the 10th Senate Retreat of the committee on the review of the 1999 constitution, in September 2024. As part of the constitution-review exercise, the National Assembly organized zonal (regional) public hearings to receive memoranda and stakeholder presentations across the six geopolitical zones. The Senate/Joint committee scheduled zonal public hearings, and the Anioma proposal featured in the July 2025 round of zonal public hearings; one scheduled hearing was on 4–5 July 2025 at Ikot-Ekpene in Uyo, and Enugu for the South-South / South-East cluster. These zonal hearings collect oral evidence from traditional rulers, civil-society groups, political leaders, and citizens. For Anioma, stakeholders from the proposed area (traditional rulers, community groups, and civic movements) presented in support of the proposal, and national stakeholders (some senators, civil society) also spoke to equity and geopolitical balance. The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review, in a two-day retreat held in Lagos (October 2025), reviewed dozens of state-creation petitions and bills. The Anioma proposal (SB 481) was among the state-creation proposals that featured in the set of 55 state-creation requests the committee reviewed. The committee finally approved the creation of a state to be created for the South East. It also listed Anioma State under the South East geopolitical zone, placing Anioma State under consideration and possible creation. The committee in this retreat further recommends creating additional states (one in each geopolitical zone) as part of its conclusions to be put into the committee report. Moreover, on the 24th of November 2025, the joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review met at Ladi Kwali Hall, Continental Hotel, Abuja, for further reviews also bordering on state creation.
LAGOS RETREAT
KADUNA RETREAT
JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING, CONTINENTAL HOTEL, ABUJA
Photos from the Zonal Hearings, Retreats, Stakeholders’ Meetings, and Traditional Townhall Meetings Towards Bill 481 on Anioma State Creation
What Next?
The bill remains part of the Joint Committee’s activity and still in the constitutional amendment pipeline. Further parliamentary stages before it finally becomes law includes a referendum.