The House of Representatives has passed for a second reading a bill that aims to upgrade the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State to full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs).
If the bill is approved, Lagos would see its total number of LGAs rise from 20 to 57, bringing the total number of LGAs in the country to 811.
The bill was introduced by Abiodun Faleke, the representative for Ikeja Federal Constituency, and 21 other lawmakers. It seeks to amend the Nigerian Constitution to accommodate these LCDAs as official LGAs.
Faleke noted, “This bill is vital for the further development of Lagos State, and it seeks to ensure that Lagosians receive the adequate attention and resources needed for local governance.”
The proposal dates back to the time when President Bola Tinubu, as governor of Lagos, created the 37 LCDAs in 1999.
This move led to a confrontation with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who withheld federal allocations to the state in response.
The new bill outlines changes to the First Schedule of the Constitution, particularly Section 3, to incorporate the new LGAs.
The alteration will also redefine the structure of the Lagos State Local Government Areas, including the creation of new names for several regions such as “Apapa-Iganmu” and “Badagary West.”