The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has announced a two-day public hearing across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to gather citizen input on critical constitutional reforms.
The hearings, scheduled for July 4th and 5th, 2025, will take place simultaneously in Lagos (South West), Enugu (South East), Ikot Ekpene (South South), Jos (North Central), Maiduguri (North East), and Kano (North West).
Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, stated that the initiative aims to deepen public engagement in shaping the nation’s supreme law.
Key issues on the agenda include:
-
Local Government Autonomy: A proposed bill seeks to enshrine Local Government Councils as a constitutionally recognized tier of government with guaranteed tenure and democratic structure.
-
Creation of NALGEC: A second bill targets electoral reform by proposing an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission to oversee council elections.
-
Security Reforms: Bills for the establishment of state police and State Security Councils will be considered to enhance sub-national security coordination.
-
Fiscal Reforms: Six bills are slated for debate, including proposals to:
-
Empower the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission to enforce remittances to the Federation Account.
-
Set timelines for submission of annual budgets by Presidents and Governors.
-
-
Gender Representation: A bill to create additional seats for women in federal and state legislatures is also on the table.
-
Traditional Institutions: A proposal to constitutionally recognize the National, State, and Local Councils of Traditional Rulers will be reviewed.
-
Electoral Reforms: Among other proposals is an amendment to allow for independent candidacy at all electoral levels and diaspora voting for Nigerians abroad.
-
Judicial Reforms: Over 20 bills aim to reform the judiciary, including setting timeframes for court judgments and expanding election tribunal jurisdiction.
-
Devolution of Powers: Proposals to transfer items such as labour and shipping from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List are also under consideration.
-
State Creation: The committee is reviewing 31 requests for new states, with submissions from all six zones.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy Senate President, Ismail Mudashir, emphasized the importance of public participation in the process and urged Nigerians to attend the hearings in their zones. “The input of citizens is critical to building a more inclusive, functional, and democratic constitutional framework,” he said.
