Seven more states are created

In February 1976, General Murtala Mohammed's military government announced the creation of seven additional states, bringing Nigeria's total from twelve to nineteen states. The new states were Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Imo, Niger, Ogun, and Ondo, carved out from existing larger states. This represented the most significant administrative restructuring since the creation of twelve states in 1967, fundamentally reshaping Nigeria's federal structure during a period of military rule.

The state creation followed mounting pressure from various ethnic and regional groups who felt marginalized within the existing twelve-state structure. Many communities argued that the larger states concentrated power in dominant ethnic groups, limiting access to federal resources and political representation for minorities. The military government, seeking to address these grievances and create a more balanced federation, established a panel to review demands for new states and recommend viable administrative units that could promote national unity.