Structural Imbalance and the Persistent Agitation for State Creation in Nigeria Historical Perspectives and Future Imperatives

Eric Teniola explores the history of state creation in Nigeria from 1967 to the present, arguing that restructuring remains a vital task for President Tinubu.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 3:21 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Vanguard News

The Roots of Structural Imbalance

The current state of the Nigerian Federation is often traced back to a pivotal broadcast on May 27, 1967, by then Head of State General Yakubu Gowon. In his address, Gowon identified "structural imbalance" as the primary obstacle to future national stability. At the time, the country operated under a four region arrangement that many felt concentrated too much power and limited the representation of minority groups. To address this, Gowon dissolved the regions and created the first 12 states, a move intended to decentralize authority and douse ethnic tensions during a period of extreme political volatility.

State Creation as a Military Strategy

Between 1967 and 1996, the map of Nigeria underwent several radical transformations, almost exclusively under military direction. Following the 1967 exercise, General Murtala Mohammed expanded the number of states to 19 in 1976. This trend continued under General Ibrahim Babangida, who added two states in 1987 and nine more in 1991, bringing the total to 30. Each exercise followed a pattern of carving new entities out of existing ones—such as Akwa Ibom from Cross River and Osun from Oyo—often in response to intense local agitations for self determination and closer access to government resources.

The Economic Cost of Political Obsession

Teniola observes that in modern Nigeria, politics has become the dominant "industry" at the expense of actual industrialization. He notes that the survival of the average citizen currently feels tied to party fanaticism and sycophancy because factories and productive industries have dwindled. This political obsession has led to a suspension of effective governance, where the cries of the poor go unheeded and security challenges persist. The columnist argues that the democratic system has been pushed to an extreme that often cripples the very country it is meant to serve.