JAMB Government 2018
Questions & Answers

A student could mistakenly select the Algeria war of independence or French policy in the Congo, as these were also major African geopolitical issues of that era. Nigeria broke diplomatic relations with France in 1961 due to France’s atomic tests in the Sahara. Common mistake: confusing French military conflicts with French nuclear environmental provocations in Africa.

One might mistakenly choose Kenya, Angola, or Botswana, thinking of general liberation struggles across southern Africa during that period. In 1979, Obasanjo nationalized British Petroleum assets due to Britain’s policy on Zimbabwe’s independence. Common mistake: mixing up the specific Southern African frontline state whose political transition triggered Nigeria's drastic economic sanction.

A test-taker might mistakenly select the Department of Immigration or the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, confusing operational security or research bodies with executive policy administration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages Nigeria’s foreign policy and diplomatic relations. Common mistake: attributing high-level diplomatic execution to research institutes or border control agencies.

One might mistakenly choose an Ambassador or a Consul General, assuming standard diplomatic titles apply uniformly across all foreign nations. A High Commissioner heads Nigerian missions in Commonwealth countries. Common mistake: failing to distinguish the traditional Commonwealth diplomatic title from standard foreign embassy designations.

A student could mistakenly pick the issuance of visas or the welfare of citizens, forgetting that these are core, authorized diplomatic duties. Espionage is not a statutory function; embassies focus on diplomacy and citizen welfare. Common mistake: mistaking covert intelligence-gathering operations for legitimate, transparent consular responsibilities.

One might mistakenly select politically, socially, or culturally, given that regional blocs often touch upon those areas. ECOWAS focuses on economic integration, promoting trade and regional development. Common mistake: overestimating the initial political integration scope of a community primarily founded for financial and trade cooperation.

Students might mistakenly select Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, or Liberia thinking they were the primary co-founders alongside Nigeria. Looking at the origins of this regional bloc, the establishment in 1975 was propelled forward through the active leadership of Nigeria working together with Togo. Common mistake: Confusing general West African member states with the specific initial co-driver of the organization.

A student might incorrectly choose Ghana, Ethiopia, or Tanzania assuming they became independent much later or had different foundational timelines. Tracing the establishment of the continental organization, Zimbabwe could not be among the original creators because its freedom and statehood were achieved only later in 1980. Common mistake: Overlooking the historical independence dates of southern African nations.

One might mistakenly pick ending the Second World War or terminating colonialism as the primary objective because the global body emerged immediately after that major conflict. However, looking closely at its foundational charter established in 1945, the core aim was to foster global peace and security. Common mistake: Confusing the historical context or trigger event of an organization's birth with its overarching institutional purpose.

A student might select German colony or British protectorate due to historical imperial presence in the region, or South African province given its heavy administration. Examining its formal status prior to 1990, the territory was actually managed as a United Nations trusteeship under South African oversight. Common mistake: Mistaking regional administrative control for the official international legal status of the territory.

An unprepared test-taker might choose nation due to common interchangeable usage in everyday speech. By examining formal political science terminology, however, the entity possessing supreme governing authority over a defined geographical space is precisely defined as a state. Common mistake: Equating a cultural or ethnic population grouping (nation) with a legally organized governing body (state).

A student might incorrectly guess political culture or political training, thinking about general civic education or prevailing societal attitudes. Tracing how civic values pass down through time, the specific process by which orientations and beliefs are transmitted across generations is known as political socialization. Common mistake: Confusing the lifelong developmental transmission process with the resulting set of societal attitudes.

Someone might mistakenly choose the presidential system, forgetting that it strictly separates powers between branches. When analyzing governmental structures where legislative and executive branches are merged rather than separated, the correct classification is the parliamentary system. Common mistake: Confusing the separation of powers in presidential models with the branch integration found in parliamentary models.

A student might pick making laws too technical or ineffective in emergencies, assuming administrative rules are complex or slow. The primary democratic concern with delegated legislation, however, is that it grants lawmaking powers to unelected officials, thereby subjecting citizens to executive decrees and reducing accountability. Common mistake: Focusing on the technical complexity of rules rather than the democratic deficit of unelected rulemaking.

An examinee might mistakenly choose federal or confederal, confusing systems where regional governments hold varying degrees of constitutional autonomy. When looking at a political arrangement where the national government holds supreme and unbroken power over any other sub-national levels, it is defined as a unitary system. Common mistake: Confusing decentralized administrative units with genuinely autonomous federated states.

A student might select any written legal document or doctrines limiting government power, assuming all legal texts or limit-focused papers qualify. Reviewing political science definitions, a constitution is fundamentally the basic set of laws used for governing a state. Common mistake: Treating any specialized legal writing or rights limitation as equivalent to the foundational governing document of a polity.

One might mistakenly choose feudalism or democracy, thinking of historical class structures or popular governance models. When examining governance philosophies that demand absolute oversight over all aspects of public and private life, the correct term is totalitarianism. Common mistake: Confusing authoritarian absolute control with traditional class hierarchies or free systems.

A student might mistakenly select referendum, recall, or initiative, confusing them with standard civic participation tools. Among the choices, riots represent violent disruption rather than a recognized, lawful democratic procedure for achieving political goals. Common mistake: Confusing unlawful civil unrest with established constitutional mechanisms of democratic participation.

An examinee might mistakenly choose no individual is responsible for decisions or only ministers are responsible for errors, misinterpreting ministerial accountability. In a cabinet system, individual responsibility means that ministers remain personally accountable for their departments, and the prime minister holds the authority to remove erring ministers. Common mistake: Misinterpreting ministerial accountability as collective immunity rather than direct subordination to the prime minister's disciplinary power.

A student might select cabinet members are responsible or legislative and executive work together, assuming branch cooperation causes collective accountability. In a presidential system, collective responsibility is absent because the executive branch is elected for a fixed term and is not collectively answerable to the legislature for survival. Common mistake: Confusing cooperative governance with joint constitutional accountability.