INTRODUCTION
The JAMB Syllabus is a comprehensive listing of topics from which questions would be set on all subject areas. The syllabus has been specifically designed to guide candidates to adequately prepare for the examination.
Below is the JAMB 2022 Syllabus for Government;
CONTENT
PART 1: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT:
1. Basic Concepts in Government:
- 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:
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; the emergence of nationalist parties.
- Influence of External factors;
- Constitutional development – theClifford (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 PostIndependence Period: Political parties, party politics – First, Second, Third, and Fourth Republics.
8. The Structure and Workings of Nigerian Federalism:
- The 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 intergovernmental 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:
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:
1. International Organizations:
- ECOWAS;
- OAU, AU;
- Commonwealth;
- UNO;
- OPEC;
– Origin, objectives, structure, functions, achievements, problems and prospects of these organizations.
JAMB 2022 Government Syllabus Recommended Textbooks
- 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.
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