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Difficulty: EasyEvolution of Nigerian Federalism and State Creation

Match each Nigerian constitutional or political landmark on the left with its corresponding impact on federalism and state creation on the right.

  • Lyttelton Constitution of 1954Formally established a federal system with three autonomous regions and federal control over Lagos.
  • Decree No. 34 of 1966 (Unification Decree)Temporarily abolished the federal arrangement and introduced a centralized unitary structure.
  • 1979 Presidential ConstitutionMaintained the existing multi-state federal structure while introducing an executive presidential system.
  • 1991 State Creation Exercise under BabangidaExpanded the federation from 21 states to 30 states along with new local government areas.

Answer

The correct matches pair the Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 with the formal establishment of a 3-region federal system; Decree No. 34 of 1966 with the temporary conversion to a unitary system; the 1979 Constitution with the retention of federalism alongside an executive presidency; and the 1991 military exercise under Babangida with the creation of 9 states increasing the total from 21 to 30.
Each historical landmark correctly aligns with its structural outcome in Nigerian governance: the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution established regional federalism; Decree No. 34 of 1966 introduced a temporary unitary system; the 1979 Constitution embedded executive presidency into federalism; and the 1991 decree by Babangida increased states from 21 to 30.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary significance of the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution.
Recognize that it formally established Nigeria's federal system with three autonomous regions.
It allocated exclusive legislative powers to the central government and residual powers to the regions.
2
Examine the political effect of Decree No. 34 of 1966.
Identify that it suspended federalism in favor of a centralized unitary system.
General Aguiyi-Ironsi sought to unify the civil service and national administration under central command.
3
Determine the federal framework under the 1979 Constitution.
Confirm that it retained the 19-state federal structure while introducing an executive presidential system.
The Second Republic retained multi-state federalism while replacing the parliamentary executive with an elected president.
4
Recall the state creation landmark of August 1991.
Match General Ibrahim Babangida's exercise to the expansion from 21 to 30 states.
Nine additional states were created in 1991 to fulfill statehood agitations and decentralize administrative units.

Key Concept

Evolution of Nigerian federalism and state creation milestones
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Evolution of Nigerian Federalism and State Creation