How did Nigeria’s number of states grow from three regions after independence?

At independence in 1960, Nigeria was organized into three large geographic regions: Northern, Eastern, and Western. The transition from these regions to the current 36-state structure occurred through several key administrative changes:1

• 1963: The Mid-West region was created by dividing the Western region, bringing the total to four regions.231
• 1967: In an effort to curb regional power and prevent secession, the federal military government under Yakubu Gowon replaced the four regions with 12 states.21
• 1976: Gen. Murtala Mohammed added seven more states.1
• 1987–1991: Gen. Ibrahim Babangida created 11 additional states (two in 1987 and nine in 1991), bringing the total to 30.1
• 1996: Gen. Sani Abacha added the final six states to reach the current total of 36, alongside the Federal Capital Territory.1

The constitution maintains provisions allowing for the creation of further states as necessary.1