Nigeria, June 27 -- Sixty-three years ago, the Midwest Region was created following the 1963 plebiscite that carved out part of the then-Western Region. The historic referendum increased Nigeria's regions from three to four, and remains the last time a civilian government successfully created a new subnational entity.

Since the creation of the Midwest Region, Nigeria's subnational structure has expanded from four regions to 36 states, all created through military decrees, largely free from the constitutional restrictions that currently apply. All military heads of state, except Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari and Abdulsalami Abubakar, created states during their tenures. Yakubu Gowon created 12 states, Murtala ...