Groups Advocate Restructuring, Yoruba Region Within Nigerian Federation
…As Forum endorses regional restructuring, begins work on proposed Yoruba Region framework
Some Yoruba stakeholders have called for the restructuring of Nigeria and the return to a regional system of government, similar to the arrangement operated in the country during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The stakeholders made the call in Ibadan during a meeting organised by the Yoruba Region Consultative Forum, an initiative advocating the establishment of a regional system within the Nigerian federation.
The meeting, held at the NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, brought together representatives from across Yoruba land, including Kwara and Kogi States, to deliberate on regional governance, economic development, security, education and human capital development.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Publicity of the Forum, Dr. Abiola Ajibola, said the meeting was organised to brief stakeholders on the outcome of the Abuja Summit of Concerned Citizens’ Assembly held from August 17 to 20, 2026, where a seventeen-region federal structure was recommended.
Ajibola explained that consultations on restructuring began in Ibadan in 2024 before the delegation visited Kaduna, Enugu, Gombe, Port Harcourt and Jos, adding that the proposed number of regions increased based on demands from various parts of the country.
The National Chairman of Citizens Rebirth and Awareness Initiative, C-RAIN, and Convener of the Assembly, Deacon Owolabi Oladejo, said each proposed region had been mandated to return to its grassroots, consult with the people and develop constitutional frameworks for governing the regions.
Oladejo stressed that the consent of the people must remain the foundation of the restructuring process, insisting that the objective was not to dismantle Nigeria but to establish a negotiated federation of autonomous regions.
Also speaking, a university don, Professor Gbade Ojo, said the proposed Yoruba Region would be viable, citing its population, common language, educational attainment, human capital and abundant natural resources as some of its strengths.
The Chairman of the event, retired General Kunle Togun, supported the call for regional autonomy, arguing that restructuring along regional lines would help address the economic and developmental challenges confronting the country.
The Yoruba Council of Elders also expressed support for the initiative, while representatives from Kogi and Kwara States reaffirmed their desire to be part of the proposed Yoruba Region.
At the meeting, stakeholders unanimously agreed that a Yoruba Region should be established within the Nigerian federation, while the draft Article of Federation presented by the convener was reviewed and approved for further action.
The forum also constituted committees to develop proposals on the constitution, governance, natural resources, infrastructure, economy, security, education, health, social welfare and human capital development of the proposed Yoruba Region.
