When Nigeria gained independence in 1960, it operated as a federation of three regions: Northern, Western, and Eastern. This arrangement, inherited from British colonial rule, reflected both administrative convenience and entrenched ethnic divisions. The North was politically dominated by the Hausa–Fulani–led Northern People’s Congress (NPC); the West by the Yoruba-based Action Group (AG); and the East by the Igbo-dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC).
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Although the structure promoted regional autonomy, it also deepened inequalities. Minority groups in the Western Region, especially those in the Benin and Delta provinces, including Edo, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Isoko, and Anioma peoples, increasingly complained of marginalisation in politics, education, and economic development. They argued that regional decisions favoured the Yoruba majority and called for a separate administrative unit where their voices would be heard.
These concerns gradually crystallised into a coordinated political movement known as the Mid-West Movement. It was championed by prominent leaders such as Chief Dennis Osadebay, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Humphrey Omo-Osagie, and Jereton Mariere, who argued that the Nigerian federation could remain stable only if minority interests were constitutionally protected.
Political Context and Early Agitations
The demand for the Mid-Western Region first gained visibility during the constitutional conferences held in London and Lagos between 1953 and 1958. Delegates from minority communities repeatedly petitioned for regional autonomy. In response, the Willink Commission on Minority Fears was established in 1957 to investigate their claims.
The Commission’s 1958 report acknowledged genuine minority grievances but stopped short of recommending new regions. Instead, it advised the federal government to provide constitutional safeguards for minority rights and fair resource allocation. While the report did not deliver immediate change, it lent legitimacy to future agitations for a Midwestern Region.
By the early 1960s, political instability in the Western Region strengthened the case for regional restructuring. A deep conflict between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola split the Action Group, leading to civil disorder and federal intervention. The ruling NPC, NCNC coalition at the national level viewed the Mid-West proposal as a way to accommodate minority demands and, simultaneously, reduce the dominance of the Western Region.
The Road to Creation: Legislation and Referendum
Following parliamentary debates and legal preparations, the federal government enacted the Mid-Western Region Act (No. 24 of 1962). The Act provided for a referendum to determine whether the people of the Benin and Delta provinces desired a separate region.
The Federal Electoral Commission, chaired by Eyo Esua, organised the referendum in July 1963. Only voters registered on the 1959 federal electoral roll were eligible to participate. The referendum question was phrased in formal legal language, asking whether the provisions of the Act should take effect to create a new Mid-Western Region comprising the specified provinces.
The results were decisive: about 89 percent of valid votes supported the creation of the new region, surpassing the required threshold of 60 percent of eligible voters. Based on this result, the federal government proclaimed the Mid-Western Region on 9 August 1963. It became Nigeria’s fourth federating unit after the North, West, and East.
This event remains unique in Nigerian history as the only region created through a constitutional referendum under civilian rule. All subsequent states were created by military decree rather than popular vote.
Administration and Governance
The new region initially came under the interim administration of Chief Jereton Mariere, who served as the first Governor (Administrator) from August 1963 until elections were held. In February 1964, Chief Dennis Osadebay became the region’s first Premier, heading an NCNC-led government.
Benin City was designated the regional capital. The government established ministries, a civil service, and a House of Assembly to manage its affairs. The Mid-Western Region’s economy relied heavily on agriculture, especially palm produce and timber, while early efforts were made to attract light industry and improve transport infrastructure.
Politically, the region sought to balance the diverse ethnic composition of its population. Its motto, “Unity in Diversity,” reflected an attempt to avoid the dominance of any single group. Relations between the new government and the federal centre were generally cordial, and both Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and President Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe publicly welcomed the Mid-West as evidence of Nigeria’s federal flexibility and democratic maturity.
Colonial Influence and Historical Legacy
The creation of the Mid-Western Region must be understood against the backdrop of colonial federalism. British indirect rule had institutionalised ethnic and regional boundaries, often reinforcing divisions that persisted after independence. The constitutional reforms of the 1950s including the Macpherson (1951) and Lyttleton (1954) constitutions had entrenched regional autonomy but failed to resolve minority fears.
By addressing those fears constitutionally rather than militarily, the 1963 process set a federal precedent for negotiated inclusion. Minority groups elsewhere, in the Middle Belt, Niger Delta, and Cross River areas, later cited the Mid-West model as proof that regional reorganisation could be achieved through lawful democratic means.
However, the stability was short-lived. In August 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War, Biafran forces invaded the Mid-Western Region and briefly proclaimed the “Republic of Benin.” Nigerian federal troops swiftly recaptured Benin City, ending the secession attempt within days. Despite the disruption, the region’s administrative framework survived until the nationwide state creation exercise of 1976, when it was renamed Bendel State.
In 1991, Bendel was divided into Edo State and Delta State, each retaining aspects of the Mid-West’s plural character and legacy of inclusive governance.
Author’s note
The 1963 creation of the Mid-Western Region remains a landmark in Nigeria’s constitutional evolution. It demonstrated that peaceful negotiation and lawful reform were possible in a country often characterised by ethnic rivalry and political tension. The Midwest’s establishment through referendum reflected democratic consent, legal process, and federal balance principles that Nigeria continues to grapple with in its ongoing search for unity and equity.
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References
Dudley, B. J. (1973). Instability and Political Order: Politics and Crisis in Nigeria. Ibadan University Press.
Falola, T., & Heaton, M. M. (2008). A History of Nigeria. Cambridge University Press.
Siollun, M. (2009). Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria’s Military Coup Culture (1966–1976). Algora Publishing.
Tamuno, T. N. (1972). The Evolution of the Nigerian State: The Southern Phase, 1898–1914. Longman.
