State Creation and Economic Growth in Nigeria: Evaluating the Projected Socioeconomic Benefits of Anioma State for Local and National Development

This study titled “State Creation and Economic Growth in Nigeria: Evaluating the Projected Socioeconomic Benefits of Anioma State for Local and National Development†investigates the relationship between political restructuring through state creation and economic advancement, using the proposed Anioma State as a case study. This study set to examine how state creation influences local economic development, public service delivery, equitable resource distribution, and administrative efficiency in the Anioma region. The study was anchored on the Structural Functionalism Theory by Émile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons, where descriptive research design was adopted. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and interviews were carried out among 1.8 million people within nine Local Government Areas in Anioma. A stratified random sampling technique was applied with a sample size of approximately 400, derived using Taro Yamane’s formula. Statistical percentage tools were employed for data interpretation. Our findings revealed that 78% of respondents believe that state creation would boost local economic development, while 81% agreed it would improve public service delivery. About 76% affirmed that equitable resource allocation would enhance infrastructure, and 84% supported that administrative efficiency in the new state would lead to employment and empowerment. The study concluded that the creation of Anioma State holds significant potential for promoting local economic growth and balanced national development. It recommends that policymakers pursue the creation of Anioma State, adopt transparent resource allocation frameworks, institutionalize decentralized governance structures and integrate youth empowerment and employment schemes into the proposed state’s administrative setup.