A bill seeking the creation of 13 new Local Government Areas (LGAs) has successfully passed second reading. Gombe witnessed a major administrative change as Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya signed the Local Council Development Areas (Creation and Administration) Bill into law on August 25 and 26, 2025.
The new legislation has increased the number of grassroots administrative units in the Nigerian state from 11 to 24.
Officials reported that the creation of 13 new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) was designed to improve governance and development at the community level.
The move was said to be in line with Section 4(7) of the Nigerian Constitution, which empowers State Houses of Assembly to legislate for effective governance within their regions.
List of newly created LCDAs in Gombe
The newly established Gombe State LCDAs and their headquarters were announced as follows:
Akko North – Amada
Akko West – Pindiga
Balanga South – Bambam
Billiri West – Taal
Dukku North – Malala
Funakaye South – Tongo
Gombe South – Bolari
Kaltungo East – Wange
Kwami West – Bojude
Nafada South – Birin-Fulani
Pero-Chonge – Filiya
Yamaltu East – Dadinkowa
Yamaltu West – Zambuk.
Gombe State representatives explained that these new LCDAs would help address local needs more effectively and bring governance closer to the people.
Federal bill HB.2506 seeks new LGAs In parallel to the state-level development, Usman Bello Kumo and other lawmakers in the House of Representatives sponsored HB.2506, a federal bill aimed at amending the Nigerian Constitution to formally recognise new Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Gombe State.
Reports confirmed that the recognition of these LGAs would make them eligible for direct federal allocation, although, unlike the LCDAs already created by the state, the federal bill faces a more demanding legal process.
Legal experts explained that for the new units to become full-fledged LGAs, they must be included in the First Schedule of the Constitution, with Section 8(5) requiring that any alterations must be passed as a Bill for an Act of the National Assembly.
This process was described as more rigorous compared to the state-level creation of LCDAs, highlighting the difference between administrative expansion at the state level and constitutional amendment at the federal level.
