States Creation in Nigeria for Primary 4

States Creation in Nigeria

Performance Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. identify the year when States were first created in Nigeria;
2. list the number of States that were created;
3. mention the names of the States created;
4. mention the names of the Heads of State and the Governors of the States created;
5. list the implications of creating the 12 states.

What Are States in Nigeria?

A state is a part of a country that has its own government and capital city, but still belongs to the larger country. Nigeria is divided into many states to make it easier to govern and bring development closer to the people.

Before states were created, Nigeria was divided into regions. These regions were very large and powerful. Over time, many people felt that creating smaller units would help in better administration and fairer distribution of resources.

The First Creation of States in Nigeria

Nigeria has undergone several changes in its administrative structure since gaining independence. The first time states were created in Nigeria was a very important event in the country’s history.

Year of First State Creation

The first creation of states in Nigeria happened in 1967.

This was a significant year because Nigeria was facing a lot of political problems and was on the verge of a civil war. The creation of states was part of an effort to restructure the country and address some of these issues.

Number of States Created

In 1967, a total of 12 states were created from the existing four regions (Northern, Western, Mid-Western, and Eastern Regions).

Head of State During First State Creation

The Head of State who created the 12 states in 1967 was General Yakubu Gowon.

He was the military Head of State at that time. His government made the decision to divide the country into smaller administrative units.

The 12 States Created in 1967 and Their First Governors

The creation of 12 states changed the map of Nigeria. Each new state had its own governor to lead its administration.

The 12 states created in 1967 and their first governors are:

1. Benue-Plateau State: Joseph Gomwalk
2. East Central State: Anthony Ochefu (later Ukpabi Asika)
3. Kaduna State (North Central State): Abba Kyari
4. Kano State: Audu Bako
5. Kwara State: David Bamigboye
6. Lagos State: Mobolaji Johnson
7. Mid-Western State: David Ejoor (later Samuel Ogbemudia)
8. North Eastern State: Musa Usman
9. North Western State: Usman Faruk
10. Rivers State: Alfred Diete-Spiff
11. South Eastern State: Udoakaha Esuene
12. Western State: Robert Adeyinka Adebayo

Implications of Creating the 12 States

The creation of the 12 states had several important effects on Nigeria. These effects are called implications.

Some of the implications of creating the 12 states include:

1. Bringing Government Closer to the People: With smaller states, the government could focus more on the needs of local communities and bring development projects closer to them.
2. Reducing the Power of Regions: Before 1967, the regions were very powerful. Creating more states reduced the power of these large regions and helped to strengthen the central federal government.
3. Promoting Unity: The creation of states helped to reduce ethnic tensions by breaking down the large regional blocs that were often dominated by one major ethnic group. It gave more groups a sense of belonging and representation.
4. Managing the Civil War: The creation of states was also a strategy used by the federal government to weaken the support base of the Eastern Region, which had declared itself the Republic of Biafra. By creating states like Rivers and South Eastern from the Eastern Region, the federal government gained more support from minority groups in those areas.
5. Fairer Distribution of Resources: With more states, there was a better chance for resources and development projects to be shared more fairly across different parts of the country.