Government Jamb Syllabus 2023

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 achievement of the
objectives of the course in Government.
These objectives are to:
i. appreciate the meaning of government;
ii. analyze the framework and specify the institutions of government;
iii. explain the concept of citizenship and define the duties and obligations of a citizen;
iv. appreciate the process of political development;
v. evaluate the political development and problems of governance in Nigeria;
vi. assess the role of Nigeria as a member of the international community and the
workings of international organizations.

1. Basic concepts in government
a. Power, Right, Legitimacy,
Authority, Sovereignty:
b. Society, State, Nation, Nation-State;
c. 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:
a. The Legislature – types, structure,
functions, powers;
b. The Executive – types and functions,
powers;
c. The Judiciary – functions, powers,
components.
4. Structures of Governance:
Unitary, Federal, Confederal-features,
reasons for adoption, merits and demerits.
Candidates should be able to:
i. identify the fundamental concepts in
governance;

ii. analyse various political processes;
Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between different forms of
government.
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.
Candidates should be able to:
i. compare the various political structures
of governance.

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:
i. Meaning, types
ii. Citizenship rights;
iii. Duties and obligations of
citizens.

11. The Electoral Process:
Franchise, Election, Electoral System,
Electoral Commission.
12. Party Systems:
i. Definition, function and types
ii. 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.
Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between the different
systems of governance.
Candidates should be able to:
i. differentiate between the major
political ideologies;
ii. contrast modes of production,
Candidates should be able to:
i. 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 types
of citizenship;
ii. specify the rights and responsibilities of
a citizen.
Candidates should be able to:
i. analyse the various electoral processes.
Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between types of party
system;
ii. assess the role of political parties
Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between pressure groups
and political parties
Candidates should be able to:
i. assess the function of public opinion;
ii. compare methods of assessing public
opinion.
Candidates should be able to:
i. analyse the significance of civil service
in governance.

PART II POLITICAL
DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
1. Pre – colonial Polities:
Sarauta, Emirate, Tiv, Igbo, Yoruba –
structure/system 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. Impact of British colonial ruleeconomic, political, socio-cultural;
d. Comparison of British and French
colonial administration.
3. Process of Decolonization
a. Nationalist Movements – meaning,
emergence, goals, strategies,
nationalist leaders – Herbert
Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe,
Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello
and others; emergence of nationalist
parties.
b. Influence of External factors;
c. 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.
Candidates should be able to:
i. compare pre-colonial systems of
governance

Candidates should be able to:
i. trace the processes of imperialist
penetration;
ii. assess the impact of British policies;
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, etc),
iv. compare the various constitutional
developments.
Candidates should be able to:
i. assess the workings of the various
constitutions.
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
commissioners;
ii. assess the problems of, and constraints
on
iii. the public commissions.
Government

7. Political Parties in the PostIndependence Period:
Political parties, party politics – First,
Second, Third and Fourth Republics.
8. 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.
9. Public Corporations and Parastatals
a. Definition, types, purpose and
functions
b. Finance, control and problems;
c. Deregulation, privatization –
objectives, features, merits and
demerits;
d. Comparison between public
corporations and parastatals.
10. 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.
11. 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 etc. economic, e.g SAP, etc.
d. processes of military disengagement.
Candidates should be able to:
i. contrast political process in the
republics.
Candidates should be able to:
i. examine the workings of Nigerian
federalism;
ii. identify its problems;
iii. evaluate the corrective measure
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.
Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the reasons given for military
intervention;
ii. asses the achievements of military rule;
iii. determine the conditions that
necessitated withdrawal from
governance.
Government

PART III: NIGERIA AND THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
1. Foreign Policy:
a. Definition, purpose, determining
factors;
b. Nigerian foreign policy;
i. Relations with major powers;
ii. Relations with developing
countries.
2. Relations with African Countries:
a. Africa as “centre piece” – guiding
principles, implementation and
implications;
b. NEPAD – origin, objectives and
implications.
3. 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;
d. UNO;
e. OPEC;
– Origin, objectives, structure,
functions, achievements,
problems and prospects of these
organizations.
Candidates should be able to:
i. identify the major objectives of
Nigerian foreign policy;
ii. analyse Nigeria’s aligned posture;
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. identify international organizations;
ii. assess the role of these organizations in
world affairs.