WHY ONLY 8 LGAs FOR BAYELSA? 44 FOR KANO, 27 FOR IMO, 20 FOR LAGOS — IYC Opens Fresh Battle Over Bayelsa’s “Administrative Imbalance” As Eight LGAs Face A Sea Of Riverine Communities

By Passman Akpos

YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE — A fresh debate over the number of Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State is gathering momentum, with the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Central Zone, constituting a 12-member committee to investigate, develop and advance an advocacy framework for the creation of additional Local Government Areas in the state.

The move has opened a broader conversation about representation, grassroots governance and whether Bayelsa’s present administrative structure adequately reflects its geographical realities, riverine nature, population distribution and development challenges.

At the centre of the debate is a question that deserves serious national attention: Can a state with extensive waterways, scattered communities, difficult terrain and a strategic role in Nigeria’s oil and gas economy continue to operate with only eight constitutionally recognised Local Government Areas?

The development was contained in a statement dated September 24, 2026, signed by the IYC Central Zone Information Officer, Comr. Francis Boro, while the committee document was signed by the Central Zone Chairman, Enebraye Patrick Orusengha, PhD, and Secretary, Peletiri Ineikonugha Charles. The committee is chaired by Nelson Abali, Esq., with Oyaba Adu Jacob, Esq., serving as Secretary and Theophilus Dibiya, Esq., serving as Public Relations Officer.

The other members of the committee are Bodisowei Oyomowei Fred, Esq.; Tonye Bunu, Esq.; Robert Akile, Esq.; Ebisintei Mathias, Esq.; Engr. Ayibaye Daniel Wanatoi; Dennis Diginini, Esq.; Elvis Anwei, Esq.; Dr. Perekeme Fidelis; and Ukari E. Uduma, Esq. The 12-member body has been mandated to undertake a comparative assessment of Bayelsa’s geographical territory, its existing eight Local Government Areas and the distribution of LGAs in selected states, particularly Kano, Lagos and Imo.

WHAT THE 12-MEMBER COMMITTEE WILL INVESTIGATE

According to its terms of reference, the committee is expected to establish the total geographical area of Bayelsa State and examine the landmass and water bodies within each of its eight constitutionally recognised Local Government Areas. The committee is also expected to compare Bayelsa with Kano, Lagos and Imo States, paying particular attention to the smallest and largest Local Government Areas in each state. The objective is to generate credible information capable of showing how geographical realities and administrative structures differ across the selected states.

The committee has also been directed to examine available and verifiable data on the economic contributions of Bayelsa, Kano, Lagos and Imo States to Nigeria’s federation. This aspect of the assignment could become particularly significant because Bayelsa occupies an important position in Nigeria’s oil and gas economy. The committee’s work is therefore expected to consider not only geographical size but also the economic importance of the state and the challenges involved in administering communities located across its extensive riverine environment.

WHY THE COMPARISON WITH KANO, LAGOS AND IMO MATTERS

Bayelsa currently has eight constitutionally recognised Local Government Areas. Kano has 44 LGAs, Imo has 27, while Lagos has 20 constitutionally recognised LGAs. The difference is striking, although the numbers alone do not determine how many LGAs Bayelsa should have. Population, geography, history, administrative evolution and constitutional requirements all have to be considered.

Kano has 36 more LGAs than Bayelsa. Imo has 19 more, while Lagos has 12 more constitutionally recognised LGAs. The IYC committee is therefore being asked to investigate the circumstances behind these differences rather than simply relying on political arguments. Its findings could provide a factual basis for determining whether Bayelsa’s current eight-LGA arrangement adequately serves its people.

BAYELSA’S UNIQUE GEOGRAPHICAL BURDEN

Bayelsa presents a particularly difficult administrative environment because its communities are spread across rivers, creeks, wetlands, swamps, mangrove areas and other water-covered terrain. Many communities cannot be reached through conventional road transportation, meaning that the delivery of government services can involve long and expensive journeys by water. A local government structure that may appear adequate when viewed only through statistics can present a very different reality when the actual distances, waterways, transportation requirements and distribution of settlements are taken into consideration.

This is why the committee’s mandate to establish Bayelsa’s landmass and water bodies is particularly important. Rather than relying on conflicting figures or assumptions, the committee can establish precisely how much of the state consists of dry land, rivers, creeks, wetlands, mangrove areas, estuaries and other water bodies. The same methodology can then be applied to the states being used for comparison. Such an approach would give the debate a factual foundation and allow Nigerians to examine whether Bayelsa’s eight-LGA structure adequately reflects the physical territory over which its local governments are expected to administer.

THE OIL AND GAS QUESTION CANNOT BE IGNORED

The debate also has an economic dimension that cannot simply be pushed aside. Bayelsa is one of Nigeria’s major oil-producing states, and its oil and gas resources have strategic importance to the Nigerian economy. For decades, the Niger Delta has remained central to Nigeria’s petroleum economy, while communities across the region have continued to demand greater development, representation and attention to their peculiar environmental and social circumstances. This does not mean that oil production automatically determines the number of Local Government Areas a state should have, but it provides another reason for examining whether the administrative framework adequately serves communities located within strategically important areas of the national economy.

The question therefore deserves to be asked openly: Does Nigeria’s present administrative structure adequately recognise the geographical, economic and developmental realities of Bayelsa State? If the evidence demonstrates that the existing structure creates significant administrative difficulties, then the relevant authorities should examine the matter through the constitutional process. What should not happen is for the issue to remain buried under political silence while communities continue to face the practical consequences of difficult terrain, limited accessibility and administrative distances.

IS EIGHT ENOUGH FOR BAYELSA?

The IYC initiative is now forcing attention onto a question that has existed for years: Is eight Local Government Areas enough for Bayelsa State? The answer should be determined through credible evidence examining population distribution, settlement patterns, geographical territory, water bodies, transportation challenges, distance to administrative headquarters, economic activities and the actual ability of government to deliver services to citizens.

The comparison with Kano, Lagos and Imo should therefore be viewed as a starting point for investigation rather than as proof of a predetermined conclusion. Bayelsa has eight constitutionally recognised LGAs, Kano has 44, Imo has 27 and Lagos has 20. Those figures reveal a major difference in administrative structure, but numbers alone cannot establish fairness. What they can do is trigger a serious national conversation about how Nigeria’s Local Government structure evolved and whether it continues to meet the needs of every part of the federation.

THIS IS NOT SIMPLY AN IJAW EMOTIONAL ARGUMENT

For the advocacy to command national credibility, the demand for additional LGAs must be presented as a constitutional and evidence-based issue rather than merely an ethnic or political demand. The Ijaw people have every right to raise questions about the administrative structure of their homeland, just as citizens in every part of Nigeria have the right to demand effective representation and accessible government.

The strongest argument will therefore come from documented geographical facts, credible population data, economic information, administrative realities and the constitutional provisions governing the creation of new Local Government Areas. The committee’s mandate to investigate these issues could provide the IYC Central Zone with a documented basis for engaging the Bayelsa State Government, the National Assembly, the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders.

THE COMMITTEE’S CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE

Beyond geography and economics, the 12-member committee has also been directed to examine the constitutional and statutory provisions governing the creation of Local Government Areas in Nigeria. It is expected to identify the lawful procedures, constitutional requirements and relevant institutional processes involved in creating new constitutionally recognised LGAs.

The committee will subsequently make recommendations on practical, constitutional and lawful strategies through which the IYC Central Zone can pursue its advocacy. This means the initiative is expected to move beyond public agitation and towards a structured process supported by evidence and the relevant legal framework.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT IGNORE THE QUESTION

The emerging Bayelsa debate deserves national attention because Nigeria’s system of grassroots administration should be capable of responding to genuine geographical and administrative realities. If a detailed assessment demonstrates that Bayelsa’s present eight-LGA structure creates significant disadvantages in representation, accessibility and service delivery because of its geography, population distribution and waterways, those findings deserve serious consideration within the constitutional framework.

Bayelsans should not have to choose between accepting administrative limitations in silence and making demands without evidence. The proper path is to establish the facts, present them publicly, subject them to scrutiny and allow the constitutional institutions of the federation to respond. That is why the work of this 12-member IYC committee could become important beyond Bayelsa itself: it could reopen a national conversation about whether Nigeria’s distribution of Local Government Areas adequately reflects population, geography, accessibility and the realities of governance across the federation.

THE MESSAGE FROM BAYELSA TO NIGERIA

Let the landmass be established. Let the water bodies be properly measured. Let the population distribution be examined. Let the number and location of communities be documented. Let the distances between communities and administrative headquarters be established. Let the cost of delivering government services across Bayelsa’s waterways be examined. Let Bayelsa’s economic contribution be properly assessed. Let Kano, Lagos and Imo be subjected to the same objective methodology. Let the constitutional requirements be clearly identified and followed. Then let Nigerians examine the evidence.

The real question is therefore bigger than the number eight. It is whether a state with a unique riverine geography, dispersed communities, significant natural resources and major importance to Nigeria’s economy is being administered through a structure that is genuinely capable of bringing government closer to its people.

The IYC Central Zone has now opened the door to a major conversation. With Nelson Abali, Esq. leading the 12-member committee, and Oyaba Adu Jacob, Esq. and Theophilus Dibiya, Esq. serving as Secretary and Public Relations Officer respectively, the committee is expected to provide the research and documentation needed to advance the issue through lawful and constitutional channels.

For Bayelsans, the issue is deeply personal because administrative boundaries can influence how easily communities access government, development projects, political representation and public services. For Nigerians, it presents an opportunity to examine whether the country’s Local Government structure is adequately responsive to the different realities of its federation.

The committee’s assignment is therefore clear: establish the facts, compare the evidence, examine the law and present a credible case.

Because the question being asked is simple, but profound:

WHY SHOULD BAYELSA REMAIN WITH ONLY EIGHT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS?

And perhaps the question Nigerians should now ask alongside it is even more fundamental:

IS NIGERIA’S PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS ADEQUATELY REFLECTING THE PEOPLE, TERRITORIES AND GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES OF THE FEDERATION?