Nigeria started off in 1960 as a federation of three Regions, Western Region, Eastern Region and Northern Region, corresponding to the three major ethnic groups, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani, and the minority ethnic groups around all three
In 1963, a 4th Region was created for the non-Yoruba ethnic groups of the Western Region. This new Region was called the Mid-Western Region
So how did Nigeria go from 4 semi autonomous Regions with resource control, to 36 States with no resource control, most of whom survive on monthly government subvention?
May 27th 1967:
Military head Of State, Lt Colonel Yakubu Gowon issues Decree 14 which abolished all 4 Regions, and replaced them with 12 States.
The Eastern Region was broken up into three States- East Central State, South Easten State and Rivers State.
The Northern Region was broken into 6 States- Kano State, North Western State, North Central State, North Eastern State, Benue-Platue State and Kwara State
The Western Region was Broken into two States – Western State and Lagos State.
The MidWest Region simply became Midwest State.
1976– The regime of General Murtala Mohammed announces the creation of 7 additional states: The East Central State was cut into two to create Anambra and Imo State; South Eastern State became Cross River State; from Western State and West central, Ogun, Oyo and Ondo were created.
North Central State became Kaduna state; North Western State became Sokoto and Niger States, while Bauchi, Gongola and Borno were created out of North Eastern State; Benue-Platue State was cut into two to create Benue and Platue State
1987- General Bababgida created two additional States to bring total to 21 states: Katsina is carved out of Kaduna; Akwa Ibom is carved out of Cross River
1991– General Babangida creates 9 additional states to bring total to 30 states. Adamawa, Yobe, Delta, Edo, Taraba, Kebbi, Jigawa, Osun, Abia are all carved out
1996 – General Abacha created 6 additional states to make it a total of 36 states- Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Zamfara
36 States
