“Comprehensive List and Details of the States Created in Nigeria and Their Founders”

Nigeria is a federation composed of 36 states and one federal capital territory (FCT). The states in Nigeria have emerged at different points in the country’s history under different administrations. Each state operates as a semi-autonomous political entity, exercising powers alongside the federal government, as outlined in the Nigerian constitution. Let’s delve into the process of state creation in Nigeria and gain insights into the creators of these states.

State creation in Nigeria began in 1967 when the then regions were replaced by states. After that, various regimes made changes to the country’s structure until 1996, when the last states were created.

State creation in Nigeria and their creators

Here is a quick look at the important timelines in the creation of states in Nigeria and their creators.

1960-1963

When Nigeria became attained independence from colonial rule in 1960, it was a federal state with three regions. These were the Eastern, Northern, and Western regions. There were also provinces which served as a legacy of colonial rule. These were later abolished in 1976.

1963-1967

In 1963, a new region was created, bringing the total to four. The new region was known as the Mid-Western Region and was created from the Western Region.

1967-1976

In 1967, the country’s military regime replaced the four regions with 12 states. Between 1967 and 1970, the former Eastern Region attempted to secede from the rest of Nigeria, resulting in the infamous Biafran Civil War.

The states created in 1967 resulted from General Yakubu Gowon’s rise to power via a coup d’état.

1976-1987

There were 7 additional states created in 1976, bringing the total to 19. The 19 states of Nigeria in 1976 included the Federal Capital Territory, created from Niger State. In 1987, two more states (Akwa Ibom and Katsina) were created, bringing the total to 21. This was done under the military rule of General Ibrahim Babangida.

1988-1991

On August 27, 1991, the number of states in Nigeria increased to thirty as General Babangida thought it fit to create another nine states, bringing the total to 30.

1996

In 1993 when General Sani Abacha came into power, the government was under immense pressure to create additional states. The reigning military regime, under recommendation from the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), decided to create six more states. This was done in October 1996, bringing the total to the current 36 states.

States creation in Nigeria

Here are the Nigerian states created in 1991 and 1996.

State	Date created	Creator
Bayelsa	1 October 1996	Sani Abacha
Ebonyi	1 October 1996	Sani Abacha
Ekiti	1 October 1996	Sani Abacha
Gombe	1 October 1996	Sani Abacha
Nasarawa	1 October 1996	Sani Abacha
Zamfara	1 October 1996	Sani Abacha
Abia	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Adamawa	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Delta	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Edo	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Enugu	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Jigawa	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Kebbi	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Kogi	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Osun	27 August 1991	Ibrahim Babangida
Akwa Ibom	23 September 1987	Ibrahim Babangida
Katsina	23 September 1987	Ibrahim Babangida

Here is a list of 12 states created in Nigeria in 1976 and others in previous subsequent years.

State	Date created	Creator
Taraba	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Yobe	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Anambra	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Bauchi	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Benue	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Borno	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Imo	3 February 1976	Gen. Murtala Mohammed
Niger	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Ogun	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Ondo	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Oyo	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Plateau	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Sokoto	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Kano	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Cross River	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Kaduna	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Kwara	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Lagos	27 May 1967	General Yakubu Gowon
Rivers	27 May 1967

Who created states in Nigeria in 1976?

1976 saw the creation of 7 states by General Murtala Mohammed. This brought the total to 19 states. Later in the year, General Ibrahim Babangida created two more states.

Who created the 36 states in Nigeria?

They were created by different leaders under different regimes. These include General Murtala Mohammed, General Ibrahim Babangida, General Yakubu Gowon, and General Sani Abacha.

Who created 21 states in Nigeria?

By 1987, the country had 21 states. These had been created by General Ibrahim Babangida (2), General Murtala Mohammed (7), and General Yakubu Gowon (12).

Who created 12 states in Nigeria?

General Yakubu Gowon created Nigeria’s first 12 states in 1967.

The history behind state creation in Nigeria and their creators is quite fascinating. The country saw 36 states created in five regimes. These administrative units replaced the regions and provinces left by the British.