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.analyse the framework and specify the institutions of Government;
iii.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;
v.appreciate the process of political development in Nigeria;
vi.evaluate the political development and problems of governance in Nigeria;
vii.understand the determinants and dynamics of foreign policy as they relate to Nigeria;
viii.assess the role of Nigeria as a member of the international community and the workings of international organizations.
DETAILED SYLLABUS
PART 1: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
1.Definition and Scope of Government 2.Basic Concepts of Government a.Power, Influence, Authority, Legitimacy, Sovereignty; b.Society, State, Nation, Nation-State; c.Political Processes; Political Socialization, Political Participation, Political Culture. 3.Forms of Government: Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Autocracy, Republicanism, Democracy-definitions, features, merits and demerits. 4.Arms of Government: a.The Legislature – types, structure, functions, powers; | Candidates should be able to: i.define Government as an institution; ii.state the characteristics of Government; iii.explain the functions of Government. Candidates should be able to: i.identify the fundamental concepts in governance; ii.analyse various political processes; iii.explain the relationship of the state to Government. Candidates should be able to: i.distinguish between different forms of government. ii.discuss the features of each of the forms of Government. Candidates should be able to: |
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
b.The Executive – types, functions, powers; c.The Judiciary – functions, powers, components. d.Their relationships 5.Structures of Governance: a.Unitary – features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits b.Federal – features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits c.Confederal - features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits. 6.Systems of Governance: Presidential, Parliamentary and Monarchical, features, merits and demerits. 7.Political Ideologies: Communalism, Feudalism, Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Totalitarianism, Fascism, Nazism, Liberalism. 8.Constitution: Meaning, Sources, Functions, Types - Written, Unwritten, Rigid and Flexible. 9.Principles of Democratic Government: Ethics and Accountability in Public Office, Separation of Power, Checks and Balances, Individual and Collective Responsibility, Constitutionalism, Rule of Law, Representative Government, Centralization and Decentralization of Government. 10.Processes of Legislation: Legislative Enactments – Acts, Edicts, Bye-laws, Delegated Legislation, Decrees. 11.Citizenship: a.Meaning, types; b.Citizenship rights; c.Dual citizenship, renunciation, deprivation; d.Duties and obligations of citizens; e.Duties and obligations of the state. 12.The Electoral Process: a.Suffrage – evolution, types; | i.identify the duties and obligations of the various arms of government and their agencies; ii.relate each arm to its functions; iii.appreciate how these arms interrelates. Candidates should be able to: i.compare the various political structures of governance; ii.understand the reasons for the adoption of any of these structures of governance. Candidates should be able to: i.distinguish between the different systems of governance; ii.analyse the features, merits and demerits of each system of governance. Candidates should be able to: i.differentiate between the major political ideologies; ii.contrast their modes of production. Candidates should be able to: i.Define and identify sources and functions of constitutions; ii.compare the nature of constitutions. Candidates should be able to: i.identify the principles of democratic government; ii.determine the application of these principles; Candidates should be able to: i.analyse the processes involved in the making of laws. Candidates should be able to: i.differentiate between the various methods of acquiring citizenship; ii.specify the rights and responsibilities of a citizen; iii.assess the obligations of the state. Candidates should be able to: i.distinguish the different types of franchise |
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
b.Election – types, ingredients of free and fair election, pre- and post-election crisis. c.Electoral System - types, advantages and disadvantages of each; d.Electoral Commission – functions, problems. 13.Political Parties and Party Systems: a.Political parties – Definition, organization, functions. b.Party Systems – Definition, organization, functions, merits and demerits. 14.Pressure Groups: a.Definition, types, functions and modes of operation. b.Differences between Pressure Groups and Political Parties. 15.Public Opinion: a.Meaning, formation and measurement. b.Functions and limitations. 16.The Civil Service/Public Service: a.Definition, characteristics, functions, structure, control and problems of the civil service. b.Definition, characteristics, functions, structure, control and problems of the public service. PART II POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA 1.Pre – colonial Polities: Pre-jihad Hausa/Fulani Emirate, Tiv, Igbo, Yoruba a.Their structural organization; b.The functions of their various political institutions. 2.Imperialists Penetration: a.The British process of acquisition – trade, missionary activities, company rule, crown colony, protectorate; | ii.identify and explain the types of electoral systems; iii.analyse the various electoral processes. Candidates should be able to: i.assess the role of political parties; ii.distinguish between types of party systems. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the functions and the modus operandi of pressure groups; ii.distinguish between pressure groups and political parties. Candidates should be able to: i.compare methods of assessing public opinion; ii.assess the functions of public opinion; iii.analyse the limitations of public opinion. Candidates should be able to: i.analyse the significance of civil service in governance; ii.distinguish between the civil service and public service. Candidates should be able to: i.appreciate the effectiveness of the pre-colonial political systems; ii.compare pre-colonial systems of governance. Candidates should be able to: i.trace the processes of imperialists penetration; ii.assess the impact of British and French colonial policies; |
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
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. 3.Process of Decolonization: a.Nationalism – Meaning, Types; b.Nationalist Movements – emergence, goals, strategies; c.Nationalist Leaders – Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi 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. 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. 5.Post – Independence Constitutions: 1963, 1979, 1989 and 1999 (As Amended) characteristics and shortcomings. 6.Institutions of Government in the Post – Independence Nigeria: a.The Legislative – structures, functions and workings. b.The Executive – structure, functions and workings. c.The Judiciary – structure, functions and workings. 7.Public Commissions Established by the 1979 and Subsequent Constitutions: The Civil Service Commission, the Public Complaints Commission, Electoral Commissions, National Boundary Commission, Independent Corrupt | iii.distinguish between British and French colonial practices. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the process of decolonization; ii.assess the roles of nationalist leaders and parties; iii.assess the impact of external forces and ideas (Pan-Africanism, Back–to–Africa Movements, Second World War etc.). Candidates should be able to: i.compare the various constitutional developments; ii.analyse the merits and demerits of each of the constitutions. Candidates should be able to: i.assess the workings of the various Constitutions; ii.analyse the merits and demerits of the Post-Independence Constitutions in Nigeria. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the operations of the Arms of government and their agencies, e.g., the Civil Service, Armed Forces, Police, Courts and others. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the operations of Public Commissions; ii.assess the problems of the Public Commissions and their constraints. |
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Others – objectives functions and problems. 8.Political Parties and Party Politics in Post-Independence Nigeria: a.First Republic b.Second Republic c.Third Republic d.Fourth Republic -Evolution, membership spread, structure, etc. 9.The Structure and Workings of Nigerian Federalism: a.Rationale for a Federal System; b.Tiers of Government and their relationship; c.Creation of States – 1963, 1967, 1976, 1987, 1991, 1996; d.Problems of Nigerian Federalism – Census, Revenue Allocation, Conflicts etc. solutions e.g. The Federal Character Principle, etc. 10.Public Corporations and Parastatals: a.Definition, types, purpose and functions; b.Finance, control and problems; c.Deregulation, Privatization and Commercialization – objectives, features, merits and demerits; d.Comparison between Public Corporations and parastatals. 11.Local Government: a.Local Government Administration prior to 1976; b.Features of Local Government Reforms (1976, 1989) – structure, functions, finance and inter-governmental relations; c.Traditional Rulers and Local Governments; d.Problems of Local Government Administration in Nigeria. 12.The Military in Nigerian Politics a.Factors that led to military intervention; b.Structure of military regimes; | Candidates should be able to: i.contrast political processes in the republics; ii.evaluate the ideologies, structure and composition of the political parties. Candidates should be able to: i.examine the workings of Nigerian federalism; ii.identify its problems; iii.evaluate the corrective measures to be adopted. Candidates should be able to: i.examine the operations of public corporations and parastatals; ii.identify the processes involved in privatization and commercialization; iii.assess the economic importance of privatization and commercialization. Candidates should be able to: i.trace the evolution and structure of Local Government; ii.identify the major problems faced by Local Governments; iii.analyse the roles of Traditional Rulers in the Local Government system in Nigeria. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the reasons given for military intervention; |
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
c.Impact of military rule – political, e.g. creation of states, NYSC, introduction of unitary system (Unification Decree NO. 34) etc. economic, e.g. SAP, DFRRI, Peoples Bank, MAMSER, etc. d.Processes of military disengagement. PART III: FOREIGN POLICY AND NIGERIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 1.Foreign Policy: -Definition, purpose, determining factors; formulation and implementation. 2.Nigeria’s Foreign Policy: a.Relations with major powers; b.Relations with developing countries, e.g. the Technical Aid Corps (TAC), Peace-Keeping Operations etc. c.Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy. 3.Nigeria’s Relations with African Countries: a.Africa as the “centre piece” of Nigeria’s foreign policy – guiding principles, implementation and implications; b.NEPAD – origin, objectives and implications. 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); f.The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). PART IV: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: 1.International Organizations: a.ECOWAS; b.OAU, AU; c.Commonwealth; | ii.assess the achievements of military rule; iii.determine the conditions that necessitated withdrawal from the political scene. Candidates should be able to: i.Define foreign policy, identify and explain its determinants Candidates should be able to: i.identify the major objectives of Nigeria’s foreign policy. ii.analyse Nigeria’s non-aligned posture during the cold war. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the role of Nigeria in continental affairs; ii.assess the role of NEPAD in developing Africa. Candidates should be able to: i.analyse the dynamics of Nigeria’s involvement in international organizations; ii.assess their contribution to the development of Nigeria. Candidates should be able to: i.evaluate the operations of these international organizations; |
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
d.OPEC; e.UNO; f.African Petroleum Producers Association; -Origin, objectives, structure, functions, achievements, problems and prospects of these organizations. | ii.assess the role of these organizations in world affairs; iii.appreciate the challenges of these organizations and how they can be overcome. |
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. Christopher, O. (2022). Fundamental of Government A complete Guide for Schools and Colleges. Markins (Ugo) International Company Press, Delta State, Nigeria. Dibie, C. Chris (2020) Essential Government for Senior Secondary Schools, Ibafo, Ogun State; Tonad Publishers Limited. Gboyega, A; Obiyan, S. & Mimiko, F. (ed.) (2001) Exam Focus Government for WASSC & SSCE, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press Plc. 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. Oluonye, A. U. (2023). Government Simplified Completely Revised and Expanded for Senior Secondary Schools SSS1-3. Andyson Press Limited, Garki-FCT-Abuja. 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 Certificate 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.