Navigating through the 2019 JAMB Government examination paper, students will encounter a comprehensive test of political science theories, governance frameworks, and Nigeria's diplomatic history. Prominent recurring topics featured in this paper involve Nigerian federalism and local government reforms, military regimes and administrative policies, and international relations including foreign policy actions. A smart approach to this page is to carefully analyze the underlying principles behind each answer to truly grasp the subject matter.
Topics in this paper
Nigeria broke diplomatic relations with France under the Balewa government over
Distractor check: A student might guess territorial boundary disputes or trade disagreements rather than scientific protests. Reasoning to the answer: Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and France were severed in 1961 during the Balewa administration as a direct response to French atomic bomb tests conducted in the Sahara, which posed serious regional security and environmental threats. Common mistake: Confusing the Sahara nuclear testing protests with later economic nationalization events.
The Obasanjo administration nationalized the assets of British Petroleum over the British government’s policy in
Distractor check: Candidates could confuse this with other African independence movements or domestic policy conflicts in East Africa. Reasoning to the answer: The Obasanjo administration took decisive action in 1979 to nationalize British Petroleum assets to penalize Britain's foreign policy stance concerning Zimbabwe and the transition to majority rule. Common mistake: Attributing the nationalization of British Petroleum to East African disputes rather than the Rhodesian/Zimbabwean crisis.
Nigerian foreign policy implementation is the responsibility of the
Distractor check: Students might pick domestic agencies like immigration or economic planning bodies instead of the core diplomatic organ. Reasoning to the answer: The execution and daily management of international relations and foreign policy directives fall under the specific purview of the Ministry of External Affairs. Common mistake: Assuming policy formulation and execution are handled by internal security or planning departments.
The head of a Nigerian mission in a Commonwealth country is called
Distractor check: Learners frequently confuse standard international diplomatic titles with those reserved specifically for nations within the Commonwealth league. Reasoning to the answer: Diplomatic missions exchanged between member states of the Commonwealth are headed by officials holding the specific title of High Commissioner rather than an ambassador. Common mistake: Using 'ambassador' interchangeably for all foreign diplomatic posts regardless of Commonwealth membership.
Which of the following is NOT a statutory function of an embassy?
Distractor check: Students might mistakenly select visa issuance or citizen welfare, assuming consular duties involve covert actions. Reasoning to the answer: While embassies legally handle visa processing, information gathering, and protecting expatriate welfare, engaging in espionage remains an illegal clandestine activity rather than an authorized statutory function. Common mistake: Equating intelligence gathering through legal embassy channels with unlawful spying operations.
ECOWAS is aimed at uniting the West African states
Distractor check: A test-taker might select political or cultural integration because ECOWAS summits touch on regional governance and social ties. Reasoning to the answer: The foundational treaty of the Economic Community of West African States prioritizes building unified trade markets, removing barriers to movement, and driving regional economic development. Common mistake: Mistaking the ultimate goals of regional economic blocs for full political federation.
Which of these countries pioneered the idea of ECOWAS alongside Nigeria?
Distractor check: Students could select major Anglophone or Francophone nations at random without verifying the historical founding partnership. Reasoning to the answer: Alongside Nigerian leadership, Togo played a pivotal foundational role in initiating and championing the creation of ECOWAS through key figures like President Eyadema. Common mistake: Overlooking Togo's pioneering diplomatic efforts alongside Nigeria in the formation era.
Which of these countries was NOT a foundation member of the Organisation of African Unity?
Distractor check: Candidates might confuse countries that achieved independence much later with early independent African pioneers of 1963. Reasoning to the answer: Zimbabwe could not have been a founding member of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 because it did not attain its sovereign independence until 1980, unlike Ghana, Ethiopia, and Tanzania which participated at inception. Common mistake: Failing to check the independence timeline of African nations when identifying OAU founders.
The United Nations was founded with the primary objective of
Distractor check: Students might believe the organization's goal was dismantling empires immediately or creating a single global government. Reasoning to the answer: Established in the wake of global conflict, the primary charter objective of the United Nations was safeguarding global peace and preventing future international wars through collective security. Common mistake: Confusing the overarching pursuit of peace and security with specific secondary aims like total decolonization.
Until her independence, Namibia was a
Distractor check: A student might assume it remained a direct British territory due to regional proximity or colonial mapping history. Reasoning to the answer: Following its status as a German colony, Namibia transitioned into a mandated territory placed under a United Nations trusteeship administered by South Africa until its eventual sovereignty. Common mistake: Overlooking the interim United Nations trusteeship phase prior to Namibian independence.
A political authority which exercises sovereign power over a specific geographical area is termed a
Distractor check: Candidates often confuse broad terms like nation with the legal framework of sovereign governance. Reasoning to the answer: A state is specifically defined as a political authority wielding supreme, recognized sovereign power over a defined geographical territory and population. Common mistake: Using the terms 'nation' and 'state' interchangeably without accounting for legal sovereignty and government infrastructure.
The process by which political beliefs and values are transmitted from one generation to another is best known as political
Distractor check: Learners might choose political culture instead of the active generational transmission mechanism itself. Reasoning to the answer: The transmission of civic values, norms, and political beliefs across generations occurs dynamically through the process known as political socialization. Common mistake: Confusing the resulting political culture with the active socialization process that creates it.
The fusion of the executive and legislative organs of government is associated with
Distractor check: Students could select the presidential system, forgetting that it strictly enforces the separation of powers. Reasoning to the answer: A parliamentary system is characterized by a close integration where members of the executive branch are simultaneously seated within the legislature, creating a fusion of powers. Common mistake: Confusing the separation of powers in presidential systems with the fusion found in parliamentary systems.
One criticism of delegated legislation is that it
Distractor check: Candidates might think laws become rigid or useless, ignoring the core democratic objection to unelected rulemaking. Reasoning to the answer: Delegated legislation draws sharp criticism because it empowers administrative bodies and executives to issue binding rules, effectively subjecting citizens to executive decrees without direct parliamentary debate. Common mistake: Assuming delegated legislation enhances legislative accountability rather than bypassing it.
A system of government in which the central government is supreme over other levels is
Distractor check: Students might choose a federal or confederal structure, overlooking where supreme authority ultimately resides. Reasoning to the answer: A unitary system concentrates supreme governmental authority within a single central administration, delegating minor powers to regional or local bodies rather than sharing sovereignty. Common mistake: Confusing regional administrative decentralization in unitary states with true federal power-level power-sharing.
Which of the following defines a constitution?
Students might look at option A and assume any written text suffices, or confuse option D with the definition of constitutionalism. Option B is correct because a constitution fundamentally consists of the basic laws that govern a state, outlining the structure, powers, and functions of government. Common mistake: Confusing the broad concept of basic state laws with mere written documents or general limitations on power.
Which of the following ideologies advocates governmental control over all sources of powers?
A student might incorrectly choose liberalism or democracy due to familiarity with modern Western systems. Option A is correct because totalitarianism advocates complete governmental control over all aspects of life, suppressing opposition, as seen in regimes like Nazi Germany. Common mistake: Assuming all authoritarian frameworks operate under moderate oversight rather than total control.
Which of the following is NOT an acceptable means of achieving democracy?
One might mistakenly view any controversial political action like initiative or recall as violent, but those are peaceful mechanisms. Option D is correct because riots are not an acceptable democratic means, as they involve violence; referendum, recall, and initiative are peaceful democratic processes. Common mistake: Failing to distinguish between violent unlawful demonstrations and institutionalized civic tools.
In the cabinet system of government, individual responsibility of ministers means that
A test-taker could select option B believing a minister must personally manage subordinates' faults, or option D. Option C is correct because individual responsibility means ministers are accountable for their actions, and the prime minister can remove them if they err, as in parliamentary systems. Common mistake: Misinterpreting ministerial accountability as collective cabinet liability or total immunity.
The principle of collective responsibility does not operate under the presidential system of government because
One might think option A or B explains differences, but they miss the structural timeline of the executive. Option C is correct because in a presidential system, the executive is elected for a fixed term, and there’s no collective cabinet responsibility to the legislature, unlike in parliamentary systems. Common mistake: Overlooking the fixed tenure of a presidential executive as the barrier to collective parliamentary responsibility.
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