Kano State has strongly called for the creation of an additional state from the current state and the carving out of 26 new local government areas, as part of the proposals submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review.
Presenting Kano’s position at the North-West zonal public hearing of the Constitution amendment exercise in Kaduna on Saturday, the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulssalam Gwarzo, said it had become necessary to bring governance closer to the people and address rising developmental demands.
He pointed out that with Kano’s burgeoning population and vast landmass, carving out another state was long overdue, while increasing the number of local governments from 44 to 70 would help deepen grassroots development and participation.
He said: “Kano identifies with the yearnings of various communities for restructuring and therefore supports the creation of new states, provided such moves comply with Section 8 of the Constitution.
“We also strongly advocate the creation of 26 additional local governments in Kano to meet the aspirations of our people.”
The memorandum, endorsed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the people of Kano following an extensive consultative process, highlighted how a 22-member stakeholders’ committee mobilised public inputs through radio phone-in programmes and an open parley at the historic Mambayya House, the home of the late Malam Aminu Kano.
According to the Deputy Governor, the document presented in Kaduna represents a consensus distilled from diverse opinions canvassed by citizens across the state.
Beyond pushing for more local governments and a new state, Kano also demanded explicit constitutional recognition of local government as the third tier of government. It proposed amendments to Section 2(2), Section 7, and Section 162(5) to solidify local government autonomy within a framework of fiscal discipline and alignment with state development plans.
“Kano notes the subtle exclusion of local governments in the existing federal structure. We advocate for reforms that grant them proper constitutional footing, with safeguards for accountability and strategic synergy with state objectives,” he said.
On security, Kano backed the creation of state police to complement the Nigeria Police in tackling widespread security threats, but called for clear jurisdictional lines and robust inter-agency collaboration to avoid conflicts.
“Kano believes that while state police will close glaring security gaps, there must be defined areas of operational competence between it and the national police,” the memorandum read. It also urged amending the Second Schedule, Part I, Item 45, among other relevant sections, to pave the way for state-controlled policing.
The state equally canvassed enhanced roles for traditional rulers, seeking constitutional provisions that would protect their appointment processes from undue political interference, while leveraging their grassroots influence to promote peace and cohesion.
Kano proposed the establishment of a National Council of Traditional Rulers, made up of chairmen of state councils of chiefs, to advise the Federal Government on national issues.
