Senator seeks coordinated push to actualise creation of Anioma state
Senator Ned Nwoko has called on leaders and stakeholders in Southeast to unite and back the proposed Anioma state, urging a coordinated push to actualise what he described as a
Senator Ned Nwoko has called on leaders and stakeholders in Southeast to unite and back the proposed Anioma state, urging a coordinated push to actualise what he described as a historic opportunity for the Igbo nation.
In a statement in Abuja, Nwoko appealed to proponents of state creation in the region to set aside individual agitation and consolidate efforts behind the Anioma initiative.
The senator’s call came amid momentum for the proposed state in national discourse.
The campaign received a boost following remarks by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who reaffirmed legislative and political backing for the proposal, noting the administration of Bola Tinubu is committed to its realisation.
Nwoko noted Akpabio’s position that the agitation for Anioma is historically justified, anchored on equity, administrative efficiency, and balanced national development. He added that the proposal is receiving priority attention in the 10th Senate and holds strong potential to drive socio-economic growth.
The lawmaker also outlined the geopolitical and economic benefits of creating Anioma state, particularly for South-east. According to him, the new state would reconnect the region to key coastal corridors through Delta State, providing access to Atlantic Ocean via waterways and riverine infrastructure.
He noted such access would open maritime trade routes, improve logistics, reduce reliance on congested ports outside the region, and boost industrialisation, exports, and investment in shipping, agro-processing, oil and gas support services, inland transportation, and others.
“Anioma state would not only serve as a strategic economic bridge between Southeast and Southsouth, but will expand the geographical footprint of Southeast, strengthen its demographic and geographic bargaining power and undermine the insult that the region is just a dot on the map.
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“For too long, the region has been unfairly labelled and constrained as landlocked. Some opinions also deride the Southeast as a dot nation, an insignificant portion of the Nigerian map. Anioma changes that narrative completely,” he said.
Nwoko further stressed that the creation of Anioma state would enhance national cohesion by linking culturally and historically connected communities in Delta, Southeast, and parts of Edo State.
He also urged advocates of other proposed states in the region, including Anim, to avoid pursuing parallel campaigns that could weaken collective bargaining power.
“The continued agitation for multiple state proposals could inadvertently fuel division and reinforce perceptions of disunity, weakening the region’s negotiating strength within Nigeria’s competitive political landscape.
“Anioma represents a unifying cause,” he said, adding, “It transcends state boundaries, political affiliations, and generational divides. Supporting it does not require ideological uniformity, but it does demand strategic clarity and collective resolve.”
