State Creation in Nigeria 1967 – Basic 4 Nigerian History Lesson Note (Second Term)

What is a State?

A state is:

• A smaller part of a country
• Has its own government and governor
• Smaller than a region but bigger than a local government
• Can make some laws for its people
• Reports to the federal government
• Like dividing Nigeria into smaller pieces for better management

The First Set of States Created in Nigeria

Year: 1967 (May 27)

Created by: General Yakubu Gowon

Number of States: 12 states

Replaced: The 4 regions (Northern, Western, Eastern, Mid-Western)

The 12 States Created in 1967

From Northern Region (6 States):

1. North-Western State – Capital: Sokoto
2. North-Central State – Capital: Kaduna
3. North-Eastern State – Capital: Maiduguri
4. Kano State – Capital: Kano
5. Benue-Plateau State – Capital: Jos
6. Kwara State – Capital: Ilorin

From Western Region (3 States):

1. Western State – Capital: Ibadan
2. Lagos State – Capital: Lagos (also Federal Capital)

From Mid-Western Region (1 State):

1. Mid-Western State – Capital: Benin City

From Eastern Region (3 States):

1. East-Central State – Capital: Enugu
2. South-Eastern State – Capital: Calabar
3. Rivers State – Capital: Port Harcourt

First Governors of These States (1967)

Northern States:

• North-Western: Usman Faruk
• North-Central: Hassan Katsina
• North-Eastern: Audu Bako
• Kano: Audu Bako (later replaced)
• Benue-Plateau: Joseph Gomwalk
• Kwara: David Bamigboye

Western/Lagos States:

• Western: Adeyinka Adebayo
• Lagos: Mobolaji Johnson

Mid-Western State:

• Mid-Western: Samuel Ogbemudia

Eastern States:

• East-Central: Ukpabi Asika
• South-Eastern: Ndubuisi Kanu
• Rivers: Alfred Diete-Spiff

Reasons Why States Were Created

1. Stop the Civil War

• Eastern Region wanted to break away (Biafra)
• Creating states weakened the regions
• Minority groups got their own states
• Reduced regional power and tensions

2. Better Administration

• Regions were too big to manage properly
• Smaller states easier to govern
• Governors could focus on smaller areas
• Faster development and decision-making

3. Satisfy Minority Groups

• Smaller ethnic groups wanted their own states
• Stop domination by major ethnic groups
• Give minorities political power
• Equal representation for all groups

4. Even Development

• Share resources more fairly
• Prevent one region from being too powerful
• Encourage development in all areas
• Reduce inequality between regions

5. National Unity

• Keep Nigeria together as one country
• Reduce tribal conflicts
• Create balance among different groups
• Prevent secession (breaking away)

Effects of State Creation

Positive Effects:

1. Prevented Civil War Spread

• Minority groups supported federal government
• Weakened Biafran resistance
• Kept Nigeria united

2. Better Governance

• Smaller areas to manage
• More focused leadership
• Faster government services

3. More Political Participation

• More people became governors and ministers
• Different ethnic groups got representation
• Increased political opportunities

4. Economic Development

• Resources shared more fairly
• Each state developed its own projects
• Competition between states encouraged progress

Negative Effects:

1. More Expensive Government

• 12 governors instead of 4 regional premiers
• More government workers needed
• Higher cost of running government

2. Created New Minorities

• Some groups still felt left out
• Demanded more states later
• Led to continuous state creation

3. Weakened Traditional Institutions

• Traditional rulers lost some power
• State governors became more important
• Changed power structure

Summary Table: States from Each Region

Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks:

• A state is _______ than a region but bigger than a local government
• The first 12 states were created in _______
• General _______ created the first states
• The Northern Region was divided into _______ states

2. True or False:

• States are bigger than regions ( )
• 12 states were created in 1967 ( )
• General Gowon created the states ( )
• All regions got the same number of states ( )

3. Match the state with its capital:

• Kano State → Kano
• Rivers State → Port Harcourt
• Western State → Ibadan
• Mid-Western State → Benin City

4. Circle the reasons for creating states:

• Stop the civil war
• Make more money
• Better administration
• Satisfy minority groups
• Build more roads
• National unity

5. How many states came from each region?

• Northern Region: _______ states
• Western Region: _______ states
• Eastern Region: _______ states
• Mid-Western Region: _______ state

6. Who were the first governors?

• Lagos State: _______
• Rivers State: _______
• Kano State: _______

7. What was the main reason for creating states in 1967?

• a) To make more money
• b) To stop the civil war and keep Nigeria united
• c) To build more schools
• d) To create more jobs

8. Short Answer:

• What is a state?
• Why did General Gowon create 12 states?
• Name 3 states created from the Northern Region
• What were 2 positive effects of state creation?

Answer Key:

1. smaller, 1967, Yakubu Gowon, 6
2. False, True, True, False
3. Matching as shown above
4. Circle: Stop the civil war, Better administration, Satisfy minority groups, National unity
5. 6, 2, 3, 1
6. Mobolaji Johnson, Alfred Diete-Spiff, Audu Bako
7. b) To stop the civil war and keep Nigeria united
8. Smaller part of country with own government / To stop civil war and better administration / Any 3 from the 6 Northern states / Better governance and more political participation