House Of Reps Increases Lagos Local Governments From 20 To 57

By Akinwale Kasali

With this increase, Lagos would now have the highest number of LGAs in Nigeria. It has overtaken Kano State which has 44. Bayelsa State has the least with Eight LGAs. The LCDAs in Lagos were created by President Tinubu when he was the Governor of the State, prompting then President Olusegun Obasanjo to seize the State’s LGA allocations

The House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill seeking to upgrade the 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in Lagos State into fully recognised Local Government Areas, LGAs.

Before now, the Federal Government recognized only 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State, with the 37 LCDAs unrecognized.

The LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu when he was the Governor of Lagos State, prompting then President Olusegun Obasanjo to seize Federal Allocations to Lagos LGAs.

The proposed legislation, titled A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to Accommodate the Thirty-Seven (37) Development Area Councils of Lagos State as Full-Fledged Local Government Areas was among 42 Constitution Amendment Bills approved by the House during Wednesday’s Plenary Session.

If the Bill is signed into law, ir will increase the number of LGAs in Lagos from 20 to 57 and raise the total number of LGAs in Nigeria from 774 to 811.

The Bill to recognize the 37 LCDAs was co-sponsored by Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Hon. Babajimi Benson, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Enitan Dolapo Badru representing Lagos Island I Federal Constituency, and 19 other Lawmakers, scaled its Second Reading in a Plenary presided over by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.

With this development, Lagos would officially become the State with the highest number of LGAs in the country, surpassing Kano (44 LGAs) and Katsina (34 LGAs). Bayelsa has the least with eight LGAs, only.

The legislation is expected to further strengthen grassroots governance, improve administrative reach, and enhance the delivery of democratic dividends to the growing population of Lagos State.