The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has announced that public hearings on proposed constitutional amendments will be held simultaneously across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones from July 4 to July 5, 2025.
Chairman of the committee and Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, confirmed the development in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.
The hearings are scheduled to take place in Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), Maiduguri (North-East), and Kano (North-West). According to Senator Barau, the goal is to solicit public views on key constitutional amendment proposals currently under consideration.
The review process will address a broad range of issues, including local government autonomy, the creation of state police, judicial and electoral reforms, gender representation, new state creation, fiscal transparency, and diaspora voting rights.
One of the bills proposes full constitutional recognition for Nigeria’s 774 local government councils, granting them guaranteed tenure and autonomy. Another seeks the establishment of an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to oversee local polls.
Two security-related bills are also under consideration. They propose the establishment of state police structures and the creation of State Security Councils to manage internal security at the sub-national level.
In the area of fiscal reform, six bills will be examined. One would empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to enforce compliance in remittance and disbursement from the Federation Account. Another would amend the Constitution to introduce deadlines for the President and state governors to submit annual budgets to the respective legislatures.
The committee will also evaluate a bill aimed at reserving additional legislative seats for women in both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
Further proposals include a constitutional framework for a National Council of Traditional Rulers and similar bodies at the state and local levels, legalising independent candidacy at all levels of election, and a bill to enfranchise Nigerians in the diaspora through overseas voting.
Senator Barau noted that over 20 bills focused on judicial reform will also be reviewed. These include proposals to set mandatory timelines for delivering judgments and expand the jurisdiction of election tribunals.
Other legislative amendments under review seek to move critical items such as labour and shipping from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List, thereby increasing legislative authority at the state level.
The committee has received 31 separate requests for the creation of new states: five each from the South-West, South-South, and North-Central; seven from the North-East; six from the North-West; and three from the South-East.
Senator Barau maintained that the public hearings are central to promoting civic involvement in the constitutional reform process, and reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to ensuring a transparent, participatory, and inclusive national dialogue.
