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Difficulty: MediumThe Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 and Nigerian Federalism

Match each key structural feature introduced by the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution with its corresponding legislative or administrative arrangement.

  • Exclusive Legislative ListSubjects reserved solely for the central federal legislature, such as defense, currency, and external affairs
  • Concurrent Legislative ListSubjects shared by both central and regional legislatures, with federal law overriding in cases of conflict
  • Residual Legislative PowersUnlisted subjects assigned exclusively to the regional houses of assembly
  • Regionalization of Public ServiceEstablishment of independent civil service structures for the regions separate from the central government

Answer

Exclusive Legislative List matches subjects reserved solely for the central federal legislature; Concurrent Legislative List matches subjects shared by both central and regional legislatures with federal law overriding in cases of conflict; Residual Legislative Powers matches unlisted subjects assigned exclusively to the regional houses of assembly; Regionalization of Public Service matches the establishment of independent civil service structures for the regions.
The 1954 Lyttelton Constitution formally established federalism in Nigeria through a clear division of powers: Exclusive powers to the central government, Concurrent powers shared between central and regional governments, and Residual powers exclusively to the regions. Additionally, it regionalized both the civil service and the judiciary to reinforce regional autonomy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the function of the Exclusive Legislative List in the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution.
It granted sole legislative authority to the central government over national matters like defense and foreign affairs.
Federal governance requires national sovereign functions to remain strictly under central control.
2
Analyze the Concurrent Legislative List provision.
It allowed both federal and regional governments to pass laws on shared areas, with federal laws taking precedence if a conflict arose.
This maintained federal supremacy while allowing regional participation on shared policy topics.
3
Examine the allocation of Residual Legislative Powers.
Powers not explicitly mentioned in the exclusive or concurrent lists were vested in regional legislatures.
Vesting residual powers in the regions was a defining feature of true federalism under the Lyttelton framework.
4
Determine the administrative impact of regionalizing the public service.
Each region gained its own independent civil service and public service commission.
Autonomous regional civil services ensured regions could execute their own legislative policies independently.

Key Concept

Division of legislative powers and administrative regionalization under the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution
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The Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 and Nigerian Federalism