The House of Representatives has passed a bill through its second reading, seeking to grant full local government status to the 37 Development Area Councils in Lagos State.
If enacted, this legislation will increase the number of Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos from 20 to 57, raising the total LGAs in Nigeria to 811.
The private member bill was sponsored by Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance; Hon. Babajimi Benson, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence; and 20 other lawmakers.
The proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) aims to officially recognize the additional LGAs, ensuring they operate with full administrative and financial autonomy.
Clause 3 of the bill seeks to amend the First Schedule, Section 3, Part 1, Item 24, to include the recognized 20 existing LGAs of Lagos State. Clause 4 further proposes listing the 37 Development Area Councils as full-fledged LGAs, covering areas such as Ikorodu North, Ojodu, Lekki, Iru-Victoria Island, and Ejigbo, among others.
According to the bill’s sponsors, this move will enhance governance, boost service delivery, and ensure equitable resource allocation across Lagos State.
