This is to inform all JAMB candidates offering Government that the new Syllabus for 2019/2020 Jamb exam is out. Candidates can download or view the pdf format here.

The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination syllabus for Government is designed to prepare the candidates for the Board’s examination.

 The following are what this syllabus strives to achieve:

1. appreciate the meaning of government;
2. analyse the framework and specify the institutions of government;
3. explain the concept of citizenship and define the duties and obligations of a citizen;
4. appreciate the process of political development;
5. evaluate the political development and problems of governance in Nigeria;
6. assess the role of Nigeria as a member of the international community and the workings of international organizations.

PART 1: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT [JAMB 2019/2020 GOVERNMENT SYLLABUS]

1. Basic concepts in government
[JAMB 2019/2020GOVERNMENT SYLLABUS]

• Power, Right, Legitimacy, Authority, Sovereignty:
• Society, State, Nation, Nation-State;
• Political Processes Political Socialization, Political Participation, Political Culture.

2. Forms of Government: Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Autocracy, Republic, Democracy definitions, features, merits and demerits.
3. Arms of Government:

• The Legislature – types, structure, functions, powers;
• The Executive – types and functions, powers;
• The Judiciary – functions, powers, components.

4. Structures of Governance: Unitary, Federal, Confederal-features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits.

5. Systems of Governance: Presidential, Parliamentary and Monarchical.

6. Political Ideologies: Communalism, Feudalism, Capitalism, Socialism, Fascism, Communism

7. Constitution Written, Unwritten, Rigid and Flexible.

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.

9. Processes of Legislation: Legislative Enactment – acts, edicts, delegated legislation, decrees.

10. Citizenship:

• Meaning, types
• Citizenship rights;
• Duties and obligations of citizens.

11. The Electoral Process: Franchise, Election, Electoral System, Electoral Commission.

12. Party Systems:

• Definition, function and types
• Political parties – Definition, Organization, functions.

13. Pressure Groups: Definition, types, functions and modes of operation.

14. Public Opinion: Meaning, functions and measurement.

15. The Civil Service: Definition, characteristics, functions, structure, control and problems.

PART II POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA [JAMB 2019/2020GOVERNMENT SYLLABUS]

1. Pre – colonial Polities: Sarauta, Emirate, Tiv, Igbo, Yoruba – structure/system of governance

2. Imperialist Penetration:

• The British process of acquisition – trade, missionary activities, company rule, crown colony, protectorate;
• The British colonial administrative policy – direct and indirect rule;
• Impact of British colonial rule economic, political, socio-cultural;
• Comparison of British and French colonial administration.

3. Process of Decolonization

• Nationalist Movements – meaning, emergence, goals, strategies, nationalist leaders – Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and others; emergence of nationalist parties.
• Influence of External factors;
• Constitutional development – the Clifford (1922), Richards (1946), Macpherson (1951), Lyttelton (1954) and Independence (1960) Constitutions.

4. Post – Independence Constitutions 1963, 1979, 1989 and 1999 – characteristics and shortcomings

5. Institutions of Government in the Post – Independence period; The Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary – structure, functions and workings

6. Public Commissions Established by the 1979 and Subsequent Constitutions: The Civil Service Commission, the Public
Complaints Commission, Electoral Commissions and others – objectives and functions.

7. Political Parties in the Post Independence Period: Political parties, party politics – First, Second, Third and Fourth Republics.

8. The Structure and Workings of Nigerian Federalism:

• Rationale for a Federal System
• Tiers of government and their relationship
• Creation of States – 1963, 1967, 1976, 1987, 1991, 1996;
• Problems of Nigerian Federalism – census, revenue allocation, conflicts etc. solutions e.g. Federal character, etc.

9. Public Corporations and Parastatals

• Definition, types, purpose and functions
• Finance, control and problems;
• Deregulation, privatization – objectives, features, merits and demerits;
• Comparison between public corporations and parastatals.

10. Local Government:

• Local government administration prior to 1976;
• Features of local government reforms (1976, 1989) – structure, functions, finance and inter-governmental relations;
• Traditional rulers and local governments.

11. The Military in Nigerian Politics

• factors that led to military intervention;
• structure of military regimes;
• impact of military rule – political, e.g creation etc. economic, e.g SAP, etc.
• processes of military disengagement.

PART III: NIGERIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY [JAMB 2019/2020 GOVERNMENT SYLLABUS]

1. Foreign Policy:

• Definition, purpose, determining factors;
• Nigerian foreign policy;
  i. Relations with major powers;
  ii. Relations with developing countries.

2. Relations with African Countries:

• Africa as “centre piece” – guiding principles, implementation and implications;
• NEPAD – origin, objectives and implications.

3. Nigeria in International Organizations

• The United Nations;
• The Commonwealth;
• The Organization of African Unity;
• The African Union;
• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);
• The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

PART IV: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: [JAMB 2019/2020 GOVERNMENT SYLLABUS]

1. International Organizations:

• ECOWAS;
• OAU, AU;
• Commonwealth;
• UNO;
• OPEC;
  – Origin, objectives, structure, functions, achievements, problems and prospects of these organizations.

Jamb Government Syllabus Recommended Textbook

• 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.
• Ikein, A. A. (1990). The Impact of Oil on a Developing Country, The Case of Nigeria, Ibadan; Evans.
• Ofoegbu, R. (1977). Government for the Certificate Year, London: George Allen and Unwin.
• Ojiako, J. O. (1981). Nigeria Yesterday, Today and _______ ? Onitsha: Africana Educational Publishers (Nig.) Ltd.
• Olawale, J. B (1987). New Topics on Ordinary Level Government, Ilesha: Jola Publishing.
• Omolewa, M. (1991). A Certificate History of Nigeria, Ibadan: Longman.
• 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., Oguna, A. E. C., Amucheazi, E. C., Coker, H. o. and Oshuntuyi, O. (2001).
• Countdown to Senior Secondary Certifcate Examination: Government, Ibadan: Evans.