Nigeria as a Federation Civic Education JSS 2 First Term Lesson Notes Week 10

Lesson Plan: Governance – Nigeria as a Federation

Subject: Civic Education

Class: JSS 2

Term: First Term

Week: 10

Age: 12–13 years

Topic: Governance – Nigeria as a Federation

Sub-topics:

1. Meaning of Federation
2. The Need for a Federal System

Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioural Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define the concept of a federation.
2. Explain why Nigeria operates a federal system of government.
3. Discuss the benefits of federalism in Nigeria.
4. Identify the roles of the federal, state, and local governments in Nigeria’s governance.

Keywords:

• Federation: A system where power is shared between a central government and regional governments.
• Federalism: A political system that divides power between national and regional governments.
• Devolution: The transfer of power from central government to regional governments.
• Constitution: A set of rules that outlines the powers of government in a federation.
• Sovereignty: Supreme authority or power.

Set Induction:

The teacher asks students if they have noticed that Nigeria is divided into different states and regions, and why there is a national government in Abuja while each state has its own government. This prompts them to think about how Nigeria is governed.

Entry Behaviour:

Students have some basic knowledge of Nigeria’s government structure (local, state, and federal levels).

Learning Resources and Materials:

• Nigerian Constitution (simplified version)
• Map of Nigeria showing the 36 states
• Diagrams explaining the structure of the federal system
• Relevant Civic Education textbooks

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge:

Students know that Nigeria has different levels of government (federal, state, and local), and this lesson will build on that knowledge by explaining why the federal system exists.

Embedded Core Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Civic awareness
• Analytical skills

Learning Materials:

• Lagos State Scheme of Work for Civic Education
• Civic Education textbooks
• Visual aids showing the different tiers of government in Nigeria

Reference Books:

• Lagos State Scheme of Work for Civic Education, JSS 2
• Nigerian Constitution
• Relevant Civic Education textbooks

Instructional Materials:

• Whiteboard and markers
• Chart showing Nigeria’s federal structure
• Handouts explaining the roles of federal, state, and local governments

Content:

I. Meaning of Federation:

1. A federation is a system of government where power is shared between a central (national) government and smaller regional governments (states, provinces, or regions).
2. In a federal system, both the central government and the regional governments have their own responsibilities and powers.
3. Nigeria operates a federal system where the powers of government are divided between the federal government in Abuja and the 36 states.
4. A federal constitution defines the specific roles and powers of the central and state governments.
5. Each level of government (federal, state, and local) has certain areas it controls, such as education, security, and infrastructure.

II. Need for a Federal System in Nigeria:

1. Diversity: Nigeria is a country with many ethnic groups, cultures, and languages. A federal system allows each region to manage its own affairs while remaining united under a central government.
2. Decentralization of Power: In a large country like Nigeria, it would be difficult for one central government to manage all the regions effectively. Federalism allows each state to address local needs and issues.
3. Political Stability: By dividing power between the federal and state governments, federalism prevents too much power from being concentrated in one place, which can help avoid conflicts and ensure stability.
4. Balanced Development: Federalism allows each state to focus on its own development, which helps to promote balanced economic growth across the country.
5. Local Governance: Federalism brings government closer to the people, enabling local governments to address the specific needs of their communities.

Evaluation:

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions (with options a, b, c, or d):

1. A federation is a system where power is shared between __________ and regional governments.
   a) local government
   b) central government
   c) international organizations
   d) civil society
2. Nigeria operates a __________ system of government.
   a) unitary
   b) confederation
   c) federal
   d) monarchic
3. In a federal system, the division of power is defined by the __________.
   a) government
   b) constitution
   c) military
   d) president
4. One need for federalism in Nigeria is to manage its __________ diversity.
   a) political
   b) ethnic
   c) educational
   d) agricultural
5. Federalism helps to decentralize __________.
   a) wealth
   b) education
   c) power
   d) resources
6. The central government of Nigeria is located in __________.
   a) Lagos
   b) Abuja
   c) Port Harcourt
   d) Kano
7. The system of government that allows regional governments to manage local affairs is called __________.
   a) confederation
   b) monarchy
   c) federalism
   d) dictatorship
8. Federalism promotes political __________ in Nigeria.
   a) instability
   b) conflict
   c) stability
   d) inequality
9. Nigeria is divided into how many states?
   a) 24
   b) 36
   c) 50
   d) 18
10. A federal system prevents too much power from being concentrated in __________.
    a) one state
    b) the national government
    c) international organizations
    d) political parties

Class Activity Discussion:

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

1. What is a federation?
   A federation is a system of government where power is shared between the central government and regional governments.
2. Why does Nigeria practice federalism?
   To manage its diversity and decentralize power across its regions.
3. How many levels of government exist in Nigeria’s federal system?
   There are three levels: federal, state, and local governments.
4. What is the role of the federal government in Nigeria?
   It oversees national matters like security, defense, and foreign affairs.
5. How does federalism help in Nigeria’s development?
   It allows each state to manage its own resources and focus on its development needs.
6. Why is federalism important for political stability?
   It prevents power from being concentrated in one place, which can reduce conflicts.
7. What document outlines the powers of the federal and state governments?
   The Nigerian Constitution.
8. How does federalism affect education in Nigeria?
   Both the federal and state governments share responsibilities for education.
9. What is decentralization?
   The process of distributing power away from the central government to regional governments.
10. What are the advantages of federalism?
    It promotes balanced development, local governance, and political stability.

Presentation:

1. The teacher revises the previous topic, which was “Courageous Persons in Society.”
2. The teacher introduces the new topic, “Nigeria as a Federation,” explaining the need for a federal system of government in a diverse country like Nigeria.
3. The teacher encourages students to share their understanding of how the federal system operates and corrects any misconceptions.

Teacher’s Activities:

• Explain the meaning of federation and federalism.
• Discuss the reasons why Nigeria operates a federal system.
• Use a diagram to show how power is shared between the federal, state, and local governments.

• Nigeria as a Federation

  Federation is a group of organizations, clubs or people that have joined together to form a single group. Nigeria as a federation is a group of race that came together to form it. Up to 1914, Northern Nigeria was separated from Southern Nigeria. Lord Lugard amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates in 1914.

   

  A federation is a political system whereby a group of states come together to form a single and stronger country.  Nigeria is a good example of a Federation. It is made up of one central Government with 36 state governments. Other examples outside Nigeria include: USA, Canada, Argentina, Malaysia, India, etc

  Needs for federation

  States need Federation for the following reasons:

  1. There is need to pool the resources of all states together as no one state can produce all its needs alone.
  2. There may be need for federation in order to promote unity in spite of diversity emanating from our cultural and historical perspective.
  3. A country may need a federation in order to control the activities of the state to prevent the state from withering away.
  4. A federation is equally a matter of necessity in order to take care of needs of the people as the component parts will be capable of meeting the immediate needs of the people.
  5. Federation is also important in order to bring the government of a state closer to the people.

  Characteristics of a federation

  1. There is supremacy of the central government over the states Known as exclusive power.
  2. States also have their own constitutionally defined constitution. This is known as Residual powers.
  3. There is also supremacy of the constitution.
  4. There are 3 organs of government in a federation, namely Legislative, Executive, and the judicial organs.
  5. There is also the division of the federation into number of states, as we have 37 states in Nigeria.
  6. There is also bicameral legislature at the central level and unicameral legislature in the states.
  7. The highest court is the Supreme Court and there is equally the promotion of the independence of the judiciary.
  8. There is also separation of power and the existence of the rule of law.

   

  Need for Federation

   

  National Integration – Integration is the combination of two or more things so that they work together. The coming together of a group of people to form Nigeria as a nation has made Nigeria a powerful, strong and reliable nation.

  Unity in Diversity – A group of people, their culture and tradition may vary from one place to another and yet having the same mind to be together and work together. This one mind to work together will remove whatever is the racial difference and there by create unity in diversity within the nation.

  Controlling activities of states – Since federation is the combination of smaller race and people to form a larger one, there is need for controlling body of such small groups

   

  State Government Autonomy

   

  The states have constitutionally defined control over their own affairs. Members of the state government are close to the people. They plan for the people and execute all their plans. The power to execute without being hindered has been vested on them to an extent. As federal government establish schools in each state, the state government also do likewise and controls all that happens in their own schools.

   

  Central Government controls State

   

  The central government has policies in various areas, these policies are what the various state governments follow in what they do.

   

  Constitution of Federal Government

   

  This allows for separation of power.

   

  Exclusive – all that the federal government is to do are stated in the exclusive list

   

  Residual – all that the state government are to do are stated in the residual list

   

  Concurrent list – all that the federal and state governments are to do jointly are stated in the concurrent list

   

  Features of Nigeria Federation

   

  There is constitutional division of powers between the levels of government. In Nigeria, the constitutional powers are divided into exclusive, concurrent and residual list. Only the federal government can legislate on the exclusive list which includes defense, police affairs, fiscal and monetary policies. Both the federal and state government could legislate on concurrent list which include education, etc. it is only the state that is competent to legislate on the residual list which contains such items like land, chieftaincy titles, etc.

  A federal state has a bicameral legislature, i.e. two houses of legislature.

  The constitution of a federal state is supreme, i.e. sovereignty can only be located in the constitution.

  The constitution of a federal state is often written and rigid.

  A federal state is heterogeneous and geographically large.

  Dual loyalty is entertained in a federal state. For instance, a Nigerian can at the same time be a Lagosian.

  There is a body charged with fostering good relations among different levels of government.

   

Learners’ Activities:

• Participate in discussions about the federal system.
• Work in groups to list the benefits of federalism.
• Reflect on how federalism affects their state and local community.

Assessment:

• Evaluate students’ understanding through fill-in-the-blank questions.
• Observe class participation and group discussions for engagement and comprehension.

Evaluation Questions:

1. What is a federation?
2. Name one reason why Nigeria operates a federal system of government.
3. How many levels of government exist in Nigeria?
4. What is the role of the federal government in Nigeria?
5. How does federalism promote political stability?
6. Why is decentralization important in a federal system?
7. What is the Nigerian Constitution’s role in federalism?
8. How many states are in Nigeria’s federal system?
9. What is the benefit of local governance in federalism?
10. How does federalism affect education in Nigeria?

Conclusion:

The teacher summarizes the lesson by emphasizing that federalism allows Nigeria to manage its diversity and promote balanced development across the states. Students are encouraged to reflect on how federalism improves governance in their communities.

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