COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE CONCERNED CITIZENS ASSEMBLY ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF NIGERIA INTO
AUTONOMOUS FEDERATED REGIONS
Issued on Wednesday, 19th August, 2026 at the conclusion of the Three-Day Deliberations of the Concerned Citizens Assembly at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.
The Concerned Citizens Assembly, having come from across Nigeria convened for three days from 17th August to 19th August, 2026 for deliberation on the restructuring of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and having considered the submissions for the establishment of the seventeen (17) proposed autonomous regions, hereby issues the following communiqué:
1. PURPOSE OF THE ASSEMBLY
The Assembly reaffirmed that its main purpose is to promote a negotiated, peaceful and constitutional restructuring of Nigeria into an arrangement in which the constituent regions enjoy substantial autonomy while remaining within the Federated Regions of Nigeria (FRN).
The Assembly affirmed that Nigeria can achieve greater peace, security, economic prosperity, accountability and national cohesion by replacing excessive centralisation of powers at the center with a genuine federal system based on consent, autonomy and shared constitutional responsibilities.
2. SEVENTEEN PROPOSED AUTONOMOUS REGIONS
The Assembly received and considered requests from seventeen proposed regions seeking recognition as autonomous constituent regions of a restructured Federated Nigeria.
The Assembly acknowledges the legitimate aspirations expressed by the various regional delegations and recognises that the question of regional autonomy must ultimately be resolved through a process founded on consent, territorial contiguity, economic viability, cultural affinity, constitutional order and the protection of the rights of all inhabitants.
After consideration of submissions of the Plateau-Gurara Region and the application for Apa-Agba as a region, it was agreed that the Plateau-Gurara region be split into Plateau Region and Gurara Region and on the approval of the application by Apa-Agba by the Assembly, thus bringing the total of proposed regions to 17 regions. The proposed Regions are:
Akwa Ibom Region;
Ane Igala Region;
Apa-Agba Region;
Bendel Region;
Caliphate Region;
Cross River Region;
Gurara Region;
Hausa Region;
Igbo Region;
Ijaw Region;
Kanem Region;
Lower Benue Region;
Niger Region;
Plateau Region;
Rivers Region;
Savannah Region; and
Yoruba Region.
3. UNRESOLVED TERRITORIAL QUESTIONS
The Assembly acknowledges that certain questions, particularly those relating to territorial boundaries, the inclusion or exclusion of particular communities and areas, and competing regional claims, remain unresolved.
The Assembly therefore resolved as follows:
That outstanding questions shall not be determined by emotion, historical grievance, numerical strength or political pressure.
That they shall be subjected to an objective, transparent and evidence-based process after the conclusion of this Assembly.
That the process shall take into consideration historical, cultural, geographical, economic, administrative and security considerations, as well as the expressed wishes of affected communities.
That where an issue cannot be resolved through negotiation and objective boundary-delineation mechanisms, the matter shall be referred to the affected citizens through a referendum, whose outcome shall constitute the expression of their democratic consent.
The Assembly considered the principle of consent of the governed as fundamental to the restructuring process.
4. AUTONOMOUS REGIONAL GOVERNMENT
The Assembly adopted the principle that the constituent federated regions of Nigeria shall be autonomous entities within the Federation.
Each region shall have substantial authority over its internal affairs and shall be empowered to establish institutions appropriate to its circumstances, subject only to the Federal Constitution and the limited powers constitutionally reserved for the Federal Government.
5. LIMITED AND ENUMERATED FEDERAL POWERS
The Assembly resolved that the Federal Government shall be responsible for foreign affairs, customs, immigration, emigration, national economy, currency and central bank, national defence and security.
The summit also agreed that there will be no concurrent legislative list and all other powers are to reside with the regions.
The Summit agreed that the Federal Government should become a government of clearly defined federal responsibilities rather than an over-centralised authority exercising residual control over the constituent regions.
6. FISCAL FEDERALISM
The Assembly adopted fiscal federalism as a fundamental principle of the restructured Federated Regions of Nigeria.
Accordingly:
– Regions shall exercise substantial control over the economic resources and revenues generated within their territories.
– As was the practice in the short-lived Nigerian 1963 Republican Constitution and global best practices, the fiscal principle shall be 80% (eighty percent) of revenues generated within a region be retained by that region.
– The regions shall contribute the remaining 20% (twenty percent) of their revenue to the Federal Government.
– The fiscal arrangement shall promote accountability, productivity, competition, development and responsible management of public resources.
The Assembly believes that fiscal responsibility must accompany fiscal autonomy.
7. REGIONAL SECURITY
The Assembly resolved that autonomous regions must have substantial constitutional responsibility for the security and protection of their people.
Accordingly:
Regions shall have full responsibility for regional policing and internal public safety, subject to the Federal Constitution.
Regional security institutions shall operate within constitutional safeguards, including respect for fundamental human rights and civil authority.
National defence, territorial integrity, external security and other matters expressly assigned to the Federal Government shall remain Federal responsibilities.
8. REGIONAL CONSTITUTIONS
The Assembly resolved that every autonomous region shall have its own Regional Constitution, adopted through a legitimate and participatory process.
Such constitutions shall establish the institutions, powers, responsibilities and systems of governance of the respective regions, subject to conformity with the Federal Constitution and the fundamental principles of the Federation.
9. PROTECTION OF MINORITIES
The Assembly unequivocally affirmed that regional autonomy shall not constitute a licence for domination or discrimination against minorities.
Every Regional Constitution shall contain specific and enforceable protections for minorities and other vulnerable communities within the region including women and children.
Such protections shall include, among others:
– equality before the law;
– protection of cultural, linguistic and traditional identities;
– equitable political representation;
– protection against discrimination and exclusion;
– access to public services and opportunities;
– mechanisms for resolving inter-community disputes; and
– judicial and constitutional remedies against violations of protected rights.
The Assembly affirms that no community should be required to surrender its fundamental rights as the price of regional autonomy.
10. ARTICLES OF FEDERATION
The Assembly agreed to adopt the Articles of Federation for the Federated Regions of Nigeria, which shall be subscribed to by each federated region.
11. NATIONAL UNITY WITH REGIONAL AUTONOMY
The Assembly reaffirmed that restructuring is not a programme for the disintegration of Nigeria.
Rather, the proposed federal arrangement seeks to preserve Nigeria as one sovereign country while allowing its constituent regions sufficient autonomy to govern themselves according to their circumstances, aspirations and constitutional choices.
The Assembly believes that unity is strongest when it is founded on consent, justice, mutual respect and constitutional equality rather than excessive centralisation.
12. NATIONAL REBIRTH COMMISSION
The Assembly calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately establish a National Rebirth Commission with a clear constitutional and transitional mandate to facilitate the implementation of the decisions and recommendations arising from this restructuring process.
The Commission should, among other responsibilities:
– Constitute a Truth, Reconciliation, Unity and Equity Department
– Coordinate the constitutional restructuring process;
– facilitate negotiations among the proposed regions and the Federal Government;
– Coordinate the objective resolutions of outstanding territorial questions;
– Facilitate the referendum where negotiated settlement of territorial questions proves impossible;
– Develop the framework for the transition to autonomous regional governance;
– Coordinate the preparation of the Federal and Regional constitutional instruments;
– Facilitate the transition to fiscal federalism and regional security arrangements; and
– Ensure that the restructuring process is peaceful, transparent, inclusive and constitutionally grounded.
The composition of the Commission should comprise persons of recognised competence, integrity, independence and national standing and should operate transparently.
13. IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH CONSENT AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS
The Assembly recognised that the resolutions adopted herein require a direct legitimate constitutional process for their implementation.
Accordingly, the Assembly calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to direct all relevant institutions and arms of government, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and citizens to commence a national constitutional dialogue and negotiation directed specifically at translating these resolutions into a new federal constitutional framework.
14. OUR DECLARATION
The Concerned Citizens Assembly declares that the present structure of Nigeria requires fundamental reform if the country is to achieve sustainable peace, security, development and accountable governance.
We therefore advocate a new federal arrangement founded upon:
* Autonomous Regions;
* Fiscal Federalism;
* Limited Federal Powers.
* Regional Security;
* Regional Constitutions;
* Minority Protection;
* Democratic Consent;
* Constitutionalism; and
* Justice and Equity.
A peaceful and prosperous Federated Regions of Nigeria will emerge from voluntary association of stronger regions when we come together by consent.
The Assembly calls upon Nigerians to approach this historic task not with fear or hostility, but with courage, reason, mutual respect and a commitment to building a Federation in which every constituent community can confidently say:
*“Federated Regions of Nigeria works for us because Nigeria is structured by our consent.”*
Adopted by The Concerned Citizens Assembly at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja on 19th August 2026.
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