Government
GOVERNMENT
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) syllabus in Government is to
prepare the candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their knowledge in
Government, with a view to determining their suitability for placement in institutions of higher
learning in Nigeria.
These objectives are to:
i.
appreciate the meaning of government;
ii.
iii.
analyse the framework and specify the institutions of government;
appreciate the basic principles of democratic governance and their application in
Nigeria;
iv.
explain the concept of citizenship and define the duties and obligations of a citizen;
appreciate the process of political development in Nigeria;
evaluate the political development and problems of governance in Nigeria;
understand the determinants and dynamics of foreign policy as it relates to Nigeria;
assess the role of Nigeria as a member of the international community and the
workings of international organizations.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
DETAILED SYLLABUS
PART 1: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
OBJECTIVES
1. Basic Concepts in Government
a. Power, Authority, Legitimacy,
Sovereignty;
Candidates should be able to:
i.
identify the fundamental concepts in
governance;
b. Society, State, Nation, Nation-State;
c. Political Processes;
ii.
analyse various political processes;
Political
Socialization,
Political
Participation, Political Culture.
2. Forms of Government:
Monarchy, Aristocracy,
Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between different forms of
government.
Oligarchy,
Autocracy, Republicanism, Democracy-
definitions, features, merits and demerits.
3. Arms of Government:
a. The Legislature – types, structure,
functions, powers;
Candidates should be able to:
i.
identify the duties and obligations of
the various arms of government and
their agencies;
b. The Executive – types, functions,
powers;
c. The Judiciary – functions, powers,
components.
ii.
iii.
relate each arm to its functions;
appreciate how these arms interrelates.
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Government
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
d. Their relationships
OBJECTIVES
4. Structures of Governance:
Candidates should be able to:
a. Unitary
–
features, reasons for
i.
compare the various political structures
of governance.
adoption, merits and demerits
Federal – features, reasons for
adoption, merits and demerits
b.
c. Confederal - features, reasons for
adoption, merits and demerits.
5. Systems of Governance:
Presidential, Parliamentary and
Monarchical.
Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between
systems of governance.
the
different
major
6. Political Ideologies:
Candidates should be able to:
Communalism, Feudalism, Capitalism,
Socialism, Communism, Totalitarianism,
Fascism, Nazism.
i.
differentiate
political ideologies;
contrast modes of production,
between
the
ii.
Candidates should be able to:
7. Constitution:
i.
Define and identify sources and
functions of constitutions;
compare the nature of constitutions.
Meaning, Sources, Functions, Types -
Written, Unwritten, Rigid and Flexible.
ii.
8. Principles of Democratic Government:
Ethics and Accountability in Public Candidates should be able to:
Office, Separation of Power, Checks and
Balances, Individual and Collective
Responsibility, Constitutionalism, Rule of
Law, Representative Government.
i.
identify the principles of democratic
government;
determine the application of these
principles;
ii.
9. Processes of Legislation:
Legislative Enactments – acts, edicts, Candidates should be able to:
bye-laws, delegated legislation, decrees.
i.
analyse the processes involved in the
making of laws.
10. Citizenship:
a. Meaning, types;
Candidates should be able to:
b.
c.
Citizenship rights;
Dual citizenship, renunciation,
deprivation;
i.
differentiate
between
the
various
methods of acquiring citizenship;
specify the rights and responsibilities of
a citizen;
ii.
iii.
d.
e.
Duties
and
obligations
of
citizens;
assess the obligations of the state.
Duties and obligations of the
state.
11. The Electoral Process:
a. Suffrage – evolution, types;
b. Election – types, ingredients of free
and fair election;
Candidates should be able to:
i.
distinguish the different types of
franchise
c. Electoral System - types, advantages
and disadvantages of each;
d. Electoral Commission – functions,
problems.
ii.
iii.
identify and explain the types of
electoral systems
analyse the various electoral processes.
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Government
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
OBJECTIVES
12. Political Parties and Party Systems:
a. Political
Organization, functions.
b. Party Systems
organization, functions.
parties
–
Definition, Candidates should be able to:
i.
assess the role of political parties;
–
Definition,
ii.
distinguish between types of party
systems.
13. Pressure Groups:
a. Definition, types, functions and Candidates should be able to:
modes of operation.
b. Differences between Pressure Groups
and Political Parties.
i.
evaluate the functions and the modus
operandi of pressure groups;
distinguish between pressure groups
and political parties.
ii.
14. Public Opinion:
a. Meaning,
measurement.
formation
and Candidates should be able to:
i.
compare methods of assessing public
b. Functions and limitations.
opinion;
ii.
iii.
assess the functions of public opinion;
analyse the limitations of public
opinion.
15. The Civil Service:
Definition,
structure, control and problems.
characteristics,
functions, Candidates should be able to:
i. analyse the significance of civil service
in governance.
PART II POLITICAL
DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
1. Pre – colonial Polities:
Pre-jihad Hausa, Emirate, Tiv, Igbo,
Yoruba
Candidates should be able to:
i.
appreciate the effectiveness of the pre-
colonial political systems;
a. Their structural organization;
b. The functions of their various
political institutions.
ii.
compare
pre-colonial
systems
of
governance.
2. Imperialist Penetration:
a. The British process of acquisition –
trade, missionary activities, company
rule, crown colony, protectorate;
b. The British colonial administrative
policy – direct and indirect rule;
c. The French colonial administrative
policy – assimilation and association;
d. Impact of British colonial rule-
economic, political, socio-cultural;
e. Comparison of British and French
colonial administration.
Candidates should be able to:
i.
trace the processes of imperialist
penetration;
ii.
iii.
assess the impact of British and French
policies;
distinguish between British and French
colonial practices.
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TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
OBJECTIVES
3. Process of Decolonization:
a. Nationalism – Meaning, Types;
b. Nationalist Movements – emergence, Candidates should be able to:
goals, strategies;
c. Nationalist Leaders
Macaulay, Nnamdi
i.
ii.
evaluate the process of decolonization;
assess the roles of nationalist leaders
and parties;
–
Herbert
Azikiwe,
Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello,
Ladipo Solanke, Aminu Kano, J. S.
Tarka, Tafawa Balewa and others;
d. Emergence of nationalist parties;
e. Influence of external factors.
iii.
assess the impact of external forces and
ideas (Pan-Africanism, Back–to–Africa
Movements, Second World War etc).
4. Constitutional Development in Nigeria:
a. Hugh Clifford Constitution (1922)
b. Arthur Richards Constitution (1946)
c. John Macpherson Constitution (1951)
d. Oliver Lyttleton Constitution (1954)
e. Independence Constitution (1960)
Their features, merits and demerits.
Candidates should be able to:
i. compare the various constitutional
developments.
5. Post – Independence Constitutions:
1963,
1979,
1989
and
1999–
Candidates should be able to:
i. assess the workings of the various
constitutions.
characteristics and shortcomings.
6. Institutions of Government in the Post
– Independence Nigeria:
Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the operations of the arms of
a. The Legislative – structure, functions
and working.
b. The Executive – structure, functions
and workings.
c. The Judiciary – structure, functions
and workings.
government and their agencies, e.g the
civil service, armed forces, police,
courts and others.
7. Public Commissions Established by the
1979 and Subsequent Constitutions:
Candidates should be able to:
The Civil Service Commission, the Public
i.
evaluate the operations of public
Complaints
Commissions,
Commission and others
functions and problems .
Commission,
National
Electoral
Boundary
objectives
commissions;
ii.
assess the problems of the Public
Commissions and their constraints.
–
8. Political Parties and Party Politics in
Post-Independence Nigeria:
a. First Republic
Candidates should be able to:
i.
contrast political processes in the
b. Second Republic
c. Third Republic
d. Fourth Republic
republics;
ii.
evaluate the ideologies, structure and
composition of the political parties.
-
Evolution, membership spread,
structure etc.
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Government
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
OBJECTIVES
9. The Structure and Workings of
Nigerian Federalism:
a. Rationale for a Federal System;
b. Tiers of government and their
relationship;
Candidates should be able to:
i.
examine the workings of Nigerian
federalism;
c. Creation of States – 1963, 1967,
1976, 1987, 1991, 1996;
d. Problems of Nigerian Federalism –
census, revenue allocation, conflicts
etc. solutions e.g. Federal character,
etc.
ii.
iii.
identify its problems;
evaluate the corrective measure
adopted.
10. Public Corporations and Parastatals:
a. Definition,
functions;
types,
purpose
and
Candidates should be able to:
b. Finance, control and problems;
i.
examine the operations of public
c. Deregulation,
commercialization
privatization,
objectives,
corporations and parastatals;
identify the processes involved in
privatization and commercialization;
assess the economic importance of
privatization and commercialization.
–
ii.
iii.
features, merits and demerits;
d. Comparison
between
public
corporations and parastatals.
11. Local Government:
a. Local government
prior to 1976;
administration
Candidates should be able to:
b. Features of local government reforms
(1976, 1989) – structure, functions,
i.
trace the evolution and structure of
local government;
finance
relations;
c. Traditional
governments;
d. Problems of
administration in Nigeria.
and
inter-governmental
rulers and local
government
ii.
identify the major problems faced by
local governments.
local
12. The Military in Nigerian Politics
a. Factors that led to military
intervention;
b. Structure of military regimes;
Candidates should be able to:
i.
evaluate the reasons given for military
c. Impact of military rule – political, e.g
creation of states, introduction of
unitary system (Unification Decree
NO. 34) etc. economic, e.g SAP, etc.
d. Processes of military disengagement.
intervention;
assess the achievements of military
rule;
determine the conditions that
necessitated withdrawal from
governance.
ii.
iii.
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Government
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
OBJECTIVES
PART III: FOREIGN POLICY AND
NIGERIA’S RELATIONS WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
1. Foreign Policy:
-
Definition, purpose, determining
Candidates should be able to:
factors;
implementation.
formulation
and
i.
Define foreign policy, identify and
explain its determinants
2. Nigeria’s Foreign Policy:
Candidates should be able to:
a.
b.
Relations with major powers;
i.
identify the major objectives of
Nigeria’s foreign policy.
analyse Nigeria’s non-aligned posture.
Relations
with
developing
countries, e.g the Technical Aid
Corps (TAC), etc.
ii.
c.
Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy.
3. Relations with African Countries:
a. Africa as the “centre piece” of
Nigeria’s forieign policy – guiding
Candidates should be able to:
principles,
implementation
and
i.
evaluate the role of Nigeria in
implications;
continental affairs;
b. NEPAD – origin, objectives and
implications.
ii.
assess the role of NEPAD in
developing Africa.
4. Nigeria in International Organizations
a. The United Nations;
b. The Commonwealth;
c. The Organization of African Unity;
d. The African Union;
e. The Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS);
Candidates should be able to:
i.
analyse the dynamics of Nigeria’s
involvement
organizations;
in
international
ii.
assess
their
contribution to the
f.
The Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC).
development of Nigeria.
PART IV: INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS:
1. International Organizations:
a. ECOWAS;
Candidates should be able to:
b. OAU, AU;
i.
evaluate the operations of these
international organizations;
c. Commonwealth;
d. OPEC;
ii.
iii.
assess the role of these organizations in
world affairs;
appreciate the challenges of these
organizations and how they can be
overcome.
e. UNO;
f.
African
Petroleum
Producers
Association;
-
Origin, objectives, structure, functions,
achievements, problems and prospects of
these organizations.
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Government
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES
OBJECTIVES
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Adigwe, F (1985) Essentials of Government for West Africa, Ibadan: University Press Plc.
Anifowose, R and Enemuo, F. C (eds)(1999) Elements of Politics, Lagos; Malthouse Press
Limited.
Appadorai, A. (1978) The Substance of Politics, London: Oxford University Press.
Ball, A. R. (1983) Modern Politics and Government, London: Macmillan.
Ofoegbu, R. (1977) Government for the Certificate Year, London: George Allen and Unwin.
Olawale, J. B (1987) New Topics on Ordinary Level Government, Ilesha: Jola Publishing.
Oyediran, O. Nwosu, H., Takaya, B., Anifowoshe, R., Femi, B., Godwill, O. and Adigun, A.
(1990) Government for Senior Secondary Schools, Books 1, 2 and 3, Ibadan: Longman.
Oyeneye, I., Onyenwenu, M. and Olusunde, B. E. (2000) Round-Up Government for Senior
Secondary School Certifcate Examination: A Complete Guide, Ibadan: Longman.
Oyovbaire, S., Ogunna, A. E. C., Amucheazi, E. C., Coker, H. O. and Oshuntuyi, O. (2001)
Countdown to Senior Secondary Certificate Examination: Government, Ibadan: Evans.
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