Ane Igala: Leaders Demand Regional Autonomy, Resource Control

Representatives of the proposed Ane Igala Region have renewed their call for the creation of an autonomous region within a restructured Nigeria, citing historical identity, resource control, equitable representation and regional security as key reasons for the demand.

The position was contained in a memorandum presented by Professor Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu on behalf of representatives of the Ane Igala Region at a constitutional restructuring summit on August 8, 2026.
The memorandum proposed that the region should initially comprise Ankpa, Dekina, Bassa, Olamaboro, Ofu, Idah, Ibaji, Igalamela/Odolu, Omala and Kogi Local Government Areas, alongside the eastern flanks of Lokoja and Ajaokuta. It estimated the population of the proposed region at about four million.
According to the memorandum, the proposed region was historically part of a powerful precolonial kingdom centred on Idah and governed by the Attah Igala. It also acknowledged the presence of other ethno-linguistic groups, including Bassa Nge, Bassa Nkomo, Igbirra Mozun and Igbirra Koto, with whom the Igala had historically co-existed.
As part of its historical argument, the memorandum cited the September 6, 1841 agreement at Idah between the “Attah of the Egarra/Igalla country” and representatives of Queen Victoria. It argued that the British engagement with the Attah demonstrated the existence of an established political authority in the territory before subsequent colonial restructuring. Contemporary British records also referred to the Attah as the sovereign chief of the Egarra or Igalla country.
The representatives attributed the fragmentation of the kingdom to successive colonial and post-colonial administrative arrangements. They said that in 1915, different parts of the kingdom were placed under Onitsha, Munchi and Nasarawa provinces, while subsequent political reorganisations eventually left portions of the historical territory in different states.
Against this background, the representatives proposed the creation of an autonomous Ane Igala Region, with Idah as its headquarters, and the voluntary reintegration of Igala communities in parts of Benue, Nasarawa, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, Edo and other parts of Kogi State.
Under the proposal, the region would operate a parliamentary system, with equal representation for constituent local governments and rotational regional leadership.
The memorandum also called for greater control of the region’s natural resources, arguing that its agricultural, mineral, coal and oil resources had not translated into commensurate development.
It cited coal mining in particular, claiming that more than 100 trucks of coal leave the region for other parts of Nigeria and Niger Republic, while local communities continue to face environmental degradation and mining-related deaths.
On oil, the representatives argued that despite the designation of Kogi State as an oil-producing state, the benefits of the 1 per cent derivation arrangement had not resulted in meaningful development in the region.
They therefore proposed greater regional control over its resources, with the region attracting investment and remitting 10 per cent of its accrued revenue to the Federal Government for responsibilities retained at the centre.
Security was identified as another major restructuring demand. The memorandum said communities in the proposed region were facing banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other criminal activities, with insecurity disrupting farming and economic activities.
To address the situation, the representatives proposed an integrated regional security network comprising a Regional Police, Civil Defence Corps, Forest Guards, Marine Guards and Community Vigilantes.
They further proposed the broader restructuring of Nigeria into federated regions, with each region operating under its own constitution and exercising authority over resources and matters outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
The memorandum also called for equality of representation at the Federal Executive Council and rotational leadership of the central government among the regions.
In conclusion, the Ane Igala representatives requested the creation and recognition of Ane Igala Region as an autonomous region within a proposed Federated Regions of Nigeria.
They also called for the reintegration of Igala communities currently located in Anambra, Benue, Delta, Edo, Enugu and Nasarawa states, as well as relevant parts of Kogi Central and Kogi West.
The memorandum described the demand as a response to more than a century of territorial fragmentation and a quest for history, justice, equity and fair play.