August 20, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The House of Representatives has passed a bill seeking to increase the number of constitutionally recognized local government areas in Lagos State from 20 to 57.
The bill, which scaled through third reading on Tuesday at the National Assembly, seeks to amend the First Schedule, Part I of the 1999 Constitution, which currently lists only 20 local government areas for Lagos State.
The development follows years of agitation by Lagos State for the formal recognition of the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) created in 2003 during the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu. Although the LCDAs have been functioning and delivering grassroots administration, they have lacked constitutional backing and access to federal allocations.
Supporters of the bill argue that granting full recognition to the 57 councils will ensure better governance, equitable distribution of resources, and improved service delivery in Nigeria’s most populous state. Lagos, with an estimated population of over 20 million, has long maintained that its 20 LGAs are grossly inadequate compared to its size and demographic realities.
With the House’s approval, the bill will now move to the Senate for concurrence. If adopted by both chambers and signed into law by President Tinubu, Lagos State will officially have the highest number of local government councils in Nigeria.
The constitutional amendment is also expected to set a precedent for other states seeking recognition of additional local councils created at the state level.
