President Tinubu Assures Awujale of Ijebu State Creation Amid Economic Concerns
President Bola Tinubu has assured the Awujale of Ijebuland, Sikiru Adetona, of his commitment to endorsing the creation of Ijebu State, a proposed carve-out from Ogun State, dismissing widespread concerns over its feasibility amidst Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges, PulseNets has learned.
The president met the revered monarch at his Bourdillon residence on January 5, where he pledged support for the new state, situated northeast of Lagos, sources familiar with the meeting told PulseNets under anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussion.
During the meeting, Mr. Adetona lamented Ijebu’s status as the only colonial-era province yet to achieve statehood, decades after peers like Oyo and Sokoto provinces were subdivided into multiple states. “The president didn’t allow Awujale to overflog the matter before acquiescing,” one source told PulseNets from Abuja. This marks the first time President Tinubu has explicitly communicated his position on the matter, though his stance on other state creation proposals remains unclear.
The discussion also referenced Anioma, a proposed state carved out of Delta, as one of several under legislative consideration in the ongoing process to amend the 1999 Constitution.
When contacted, presidential spokespersons declined to comment officially on the meeting, citing its potential implications for other statehood advocates who might view the president’s engagement as preferential.
The Push for Ijebu State
The campaign for Ijebu State gained renewed traction in November 2024 when Senator Gbenga Daniel of Ogun East introduced an establishment bill to the National Assembly. Mr. Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, conveyed his constituents’ longstanding demand for statehood, arguing that Ijebu could sustain itself through internally generated revenue and statutory federal allocations.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio advanced the bill—titled the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2024 (Creation of Ijebu State)”—which is currently progressing through legislative stages. PulseNets reported that the proposed expansion could increase Nigeria’s federating units from 36 to as many as 56, with up to 20 new states under consideration.
Critics, however, have questioned the timing of the initiative, citing Nigeria’s economic hardships, including endemic poverty, inflation, a mounting debt burden, and inadequate infrastructure. Some lawmakers and analysts accused Mr. Tinubu of pushing for new states as a strategy to secure political loyalty ahead of the 2027 elections, despite the improbability of new states being created before then.
Despite skepticism, Mr. Adetona urged the president to disregard detractors, insisting that a new Ijebu State would foster accelerated development through effective governance and resource management.
In December 2024, Mr. Adetona, in collaboration with the Akarigbo of Remo, Adewale Ajayi, convened traditional rulers and notable figures from the Ijebu province to strategize on modalities for statehood. Discussions covered critical aspects such as selecting a state capital, determining local government areas, senatorial districts, and federal constituencies.
“Ijebu province is economically viable and already has all the infrastructural facilities that can sustain the state,” Mr. Adetona said during a stakeholders’ meeting at his palace on December 19.
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He listed several assets, including the Flowergate Industrial Estate, touted as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing industrial hubs, an international airport under construction, and potential for a deep-sea port. “Such include major industrial estates, like the Flowergate Industrial Estate, the fastest growing industrial estates in Nigeria, an international airport, with potential for a deep sea port, two international sports stadia in ljebu Ode and Sagamu,” the monarch further stated.
While the road to Ijebu State’s creation remains fraught with legislative and political hurdles, proponents like Mr. Adetona remain steadfast in their belief that the region’s economic potential and historical significance justify its independence. The ongoing deliberations in the National Assembly will ultimately determine whether the longstanding aspirations of the Ijebu people will finally come to fruition.