;;;;GOVERNMENT... >>
The aim of this 2016/2017 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 it relates to Nigeria;
viii. assess the role of Nigeria as a member of the
international community and the workings of
international organizations.
PART 1: ELEMENTS OF
GOVERNMENT
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES OBJECTIVES
1. Basic Concepts in
Government
a. Power, Authority,
Legitimacy,
Sovereignty;
b. Society, State, Nation,
Nation-State;
c. Political Processes;
Political Socialization,
Political
Participation, Political
Culture.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. identify the fundamental
concepts in governance;
ii. analyse various political
processes;
2. Forms of Government:
Monarchy, Aristocracy,
Oligarchy,
Autocracy, Republicanism,
Democracydefinitions,
features, merits and
demerits.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. distinguish between
different forms of
government.
3. Arms of Government:
a. The Legislature - types,
structure, functions,
powers;
b. The Executive - types,
functions, powers;
c. The Judiciary -
functions, powers,
components.
d. Their relationships
Candidates should be able
to:
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.
4. 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.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. compare the various
political structures of
governance.
5. Systems of Governance:
Presidential, Parliamentary
and Monarchical.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. distinguish between the
different systems of
governance.
6. Political Ideologies:
Communalism, Feudalism,
Capitalism, Socialism,
Communism,
Totalitarianism, Fascism,
Nazism.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. differentiate between the
major political ideologies;
ii. contrast modes of
production,
7. Constitution:
Meaning, Sources,
Functions, Types - Written,
Unwritten, Rigid and
Flexible.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. Define and identify
sources and functions of
constitutions;
ii. compare the nature of
constitutions.
8. 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.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. identify the principles of
democratic government;
ii. determine the
application of these
principles;
9. Processes of
Legislation:
Legislative Enactments -
acts, edicts, bye-laws,
delegated legislation,
decrees.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. analyse the processes
involved in the making of
laws.
10. 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.
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.
11. The Electoral Process:
a. Suffrage - evolution,
types;
b. Election - types,
ingredients of free and fair
election;
c. Electoral System -
types, advantages and
disadvantages of each;
d. Electoral Commission -
functions, problems.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. distinguish the different
types of franchise
ii. identify and explain the
types of electoral systems
iii. analyse the various
electoral processes.
12. Political Parties and
Party Systems:
a. Political parties -
Definition, Organization,
functions.
b. Party Systems -
Definition, organization,
functions.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. assess the role of
political parties;
ii. distinguish between
types of party systems.
13. Pressure Groups:
a. Definition, types,
functions and modes of
operation.
b. Differences between
Pressure Groups and
Political Parties.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. evaluate the functions
and the modus operandi of
pressure groups;
ii. distinguish between
pressure groups and
political parties.
14. Public Opinion:
a. Meaning, formation and
measurement.
b. Functions and
limitations.
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.
15. The Civil Service:
Definition, characteristics,
functions, structure, control
and problems.
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
a. Their structural
organization;
b. The functions of their
various political
institutions.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. appreciate the
effectiveness of the pre-
colonial political systems;
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. assess the impact of
British and French policies;
iii. distinguish between
British and French colonial
practices.
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.
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).
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- characteristics and
shortcomings.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. assess the workings of
the various constitutions.
6. Institutions of
Government in the Post -
Independence Nigeria:
a. The Legislative -
structure, functions and
working.
b. The Executive -
structure, functions and
workings.
c. The Judiciary -
structure, functions and
workings.
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.
7. Public Commissions
Established by the 1979
and Subsequent
Constitutions:
The Civil Service
Commission, the Public
Complaints Commission,
Electoral Commissions,
National Boundary
Commission and others -
objectives functions and
problems .
Candidates should be able
to:
i. evaluate the operations
of public 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
b. Second Republic
c. Third Republic
d. Fourth Republic
- Evolution, membership
spread, structure etc.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. contrast political
processes in the republics;
ii. evaluate the ideologies,
structure and composition
of the political parties.
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.
Federal character, etc.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. examine the workings of
Nigerian federalism;
ii. identify its problems;
iii. evaluate the corrective
measure adopted.
10. Public Corporations
and Parastatals:
a. Definition, types,
purpose and functions;
b. Finance, control and
problems;
c. Deregulation,
privatization,
commercialization -
objectives, features, merits
and demerits;
d. Comparison between
public corporations and
parastatals.
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.
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.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. trace the evolution and
structure of local
government;
ii. identify the major
problems faced by local
governments.
12. The Military in Nigerian
Politics:
a. Factors that led to
military intervention;
b. Structure of military
regimes;
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.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. evaluate the reasons
given for military
intervention;
ii. assess the achievements
of military rule;
iii. determine the
conditions that
necessitated withdrawal
from governance.
PART III: FOREIGN POLICY
AND NIGERIA'S RELATIONS
WITH THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY
1. Foreign Policy:
- Definition, purpose,
determining factors;
formulation and
implementation.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. Define foreign policy,
identify and explain its
determinants
2. Nigeria's Foreign Policy:
a. Relations with major
powers;
b. Relations with
developing countries, e.g
the Technical Aid Corps
(TAC), etc.
c. Nigeria's Non-Alignment
Policy.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. identify the major
objectives of Nigeria's
foreign policy.
ii. analyse Nigeria's non-
aligned posture.
3. Relations with African
Countries:
a. Africa as the "centre
piece" of Nigeria's forieign
policy - guiding principles,
implementation and
implications;
b. NEPAD - origin,
objectives and
implications.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. evaluate the role of
Nigeria in continental
affairs;
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);
f. The Organization of
Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC).
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.
PART IV: INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS:
1. International
Organizations:
a. ECOWAS;
b. OAU, AU;
c. Commonwealth;
d. OPEC;
e. UNO;
f. African Petroleum
Producers Association;
- Origin, objectives,
structure, functions,
achievements, problems
and prospects of these
organizations.
Candidates should be able
to:
i. evaluate the operations
of these international
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.
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.
