STATE CREATION IN NIGERIA 1967

Subject : History

Topic : State Creation in Nigeria 1976

Class : Primary 4

Term : First Term

Week : Week 2 and 3

Instructional Materials :

• Political Map of Nigeria showing the four regions in Nigeria
• Political Map of Nigeria showing the 12 states structure
• Photograph of General Yakubu Gowon and 12 State Governors

Reference Materials

• Scheme of Work
• Online Information
• Textbooks
• Workbooks
• 9 Year Basic Education Curriculum
• Map of Nigeria
• Charts or diagrams showing the division of the country into regions and states
• Whiteboard and markers or an overhead projector
• Images or illustrations of governors or administrators who oversaw the creation of states in 1976

Previous Knowledge :

The pupils have previous knowledge of the 36 states and capitals in the Nigeria.

Behavioural Objectives :  At the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to

• Define state
• List the first set of states created in Nigeria, their year of creation and under whose administration or regime that they were created
• List the governors of these states
• Discuss the reasons why these states were created
• Mention the effects of states creation
• Mention the names of the states created from each of the four regions
• To understand the concept of state creation in Nigeria
• To know the reasons behind the creation of states in Nigeria in 1976
• To be familiar with the old four regions in Nigeria and the states created from each region in 1976

Learning Activities :

• Pupils as individual define the term “state”
• Pupils are guided to list states created in Nigeria and under whose regimes were they created
• Pupils are guided to list the governors of the states that were created
• Pupils in groups, discuss why these states were created
• Pupils in pairs discuss the effects of the state creation
• Pupils are guided to name the state created from the four regions

Embedded Core Skills :

• Digital Literacy
• Leadership and Personal Development
• Citizenship
• Critical thinking and problem solving

Content

In Nigeria, the country was divided into different regions called Northern, Eastern and Western regions. In 1967, the government decided to create more states within these regions to make it easier for people to access government services and make decisions that affect their lives.

For example, let’s say you live in a big city and you want to go to the park. It’s very far away, and it takes a long time to get there because the city is so big. But if the city was divided into smaller cities, it would be easier for you to go to the park because it would be closer.

Similarly, by creating more states in Nigeria, it was easier for people to access services like schools, hospitals, and police stations. It also made it easier for the government to make decisions that affected the lives of the people living in those states.

Some of the new states created in 1967 include Imo, Rivers, Anambra, and Cross River. These states were created by combining smaller areas to make them easier to govern and provide services to the people living there.

What is a state?

A state is a particular area of land with defined borders and a government that has the power to make and enforce rules for the people living there.

For example, imagine a big house where everyone lives together. The house is like a state because it has a defined area, with rooms and walls that separate it from other houses. The people living in the house have a family, who is like a government, that makes rules for everyone to follow and makes sure everyone is safe and happy.

Just like a big house, a state has its own government that makes rules and keeps its citizens safe. The government of a state also provides important services like schools, hospitals, and police stations.

So, in short, a state is a defined area of land with a government that makes and enforces rules for the people living there.

List of States That Were Created in Nigeria in 1976

In Nigeria, the first set of states was created in 1976 during the administration of General Murtala Ramat Muhammed. Here is a list of the first states created in Nigeria in 1976:

1. Bauchi (1976)
2. Borno (1976)
3. Cross River (1976)
4. Imo (1976)
5. Kaduna (1976)
6. Kwara (1976)
7. Lagos (1976)
8. Nasarawa (1976)
9. Niger (1976)
10. Ogun (1976)
11. Ondo (1976)
12. Plateau (1976)

These states were created to make it easier for the government to provide services to the people and make decisions that affected the lives of the people living in those states. By dividing the country into smaller states, it was easier for the government to focus on the needs of the people in each state.

Reasons for the creation of more new state in Nigeria in 1976

The first set of states in Nigeria was created in 1976 for a few reasons. Here are some of them:

1. Better governance: By dividing the country into smaller states, the government could focus more closely on the needs of the people in each state, making it easier to provide services and make decisions that affect their lives.
2. Easier administration: With smaller states, it was easier for the government to keep track of what was happening in each state and make sure that everyone was following the rules.
3. More local control: Creating smaller states meant that people in each state had more control over what was happening in their local area, making it easier for them to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives.
4. Improved communication: With smaller states, it was easier for the government to communicate with the people and for the people to communicate with the government.

So, in short, the first set of states in Nigeria was created in 1976 to improve governance, make administration easier, give people more local control, and improve communication between the government and the people.

Regions that exited in Nigeria before the creation of new states in 1976.

Before the creation of new states in Nigeria in 1976, the country was divided into four regions. These four regions were:

1. North Region: This region included the northern part of Nigeria and was the largest of the four regions. It included states like Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto.
2. East Region: This region was located in the southeastern part of Nigeria and included states like Enugu, Anambra, and Imo.
3. West Region: This region was located in the southwestern part of Nigeria and included states like Lagos, Ogun, and Ondo.
4. Midwest Region: This region was located in the southwestern part of Nigeria and included states like Edo, Delta, and Benin.

These four regions were created to help the government provide services to the people and make decisions that affect their lives. By dividing the country into these regions, the government could focus on the needs of the people in each region and make sure that everyone was following the rules.

Names and Number of states that were created from each region in Nigeria in 1976.

From the North Region:

1. Bauchi (1976)
2. Borno (1976)
3. Kaduna (1976)
4. Niger (1976)

From the East Region:

1. Cross River (1976)
2. Imo (1976)

From the West Region:

1. Lagos (1976)
2. Ogun (1976)
3. Ondo (1976)

From the Midwest Region:

1. Kwara (1976)
2. Nasarawa (1976)
3. Plateau (1976)

These states were created to make it easier for the government to provide services to the people and make decisions that affect their lives. By dividing the country into smaller states, the government could focus more closely on the needs of the people in each state.

Evaluation

1. What was the main reason for the creation of states in Nigeria in 1976? a. To improve governance b. To create more local control c. To improve communication d. All of the above
2. How many regions were there in Nigeria before the creation of new states in 1976? a. 4 b. 6 c. 8 d. 10
3. Which of the following regions was located in the southeastern part of Nigeria? a. North Region b. East Region c. West Region d. Midwest Region
4. Which of the following states was created from the North Region in 1976? a. Borno b. Cross River c. Kwara d. Lagos
5. Which of the following states was created from the East Region in 1976? a. Niger b. Ogun c. Imo d. Nasarawa
6. What was the main benefit of dividing the country into smaller states in 1976? a. Better governance b. Easier administration c. More local control d. Improved communication
7. Which of the following regions was the largest of the four regions in Nigeria before the creation of new states in 1976? a. North Region b. East Region c. West Region d. Midwest Region
8. What was the main goal of creating new states in Nigeria in 1976? a. To provide better services to the people b. To make it easier for the government to make decisions c. To improve communication between the government and the people d. All of the above
9. Which of the following regions was located in the southwestern part of Nigeria before the creation of new states in 1976? a. North Region b. East Region c. West Region d. Midwest Region
10. What was the main advantage of dividing the country into smaller states in 1976? a. Improved governance b. More local control c. Easier administration d. All of the above.

Lesson Presentation

The lesson is presented step by step.

Procedure:

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Show a map of Nigeria to the students and ask if they know what a state is.
• Provide a definition of a state and explain how states are created.
• Ask the students if they know the number of states in Nigeria and the year in which the states were created.

2. Overview of the creation of states in Nigeria in 1976 (15 minutes)

• Show the students a chart or diagram of the division of Nigeria into regions and states.
• Explain that in 1976, Nigeria was divided into four regions: North, East, West, and Midwest.
• Provide an overview of the reasons behind the creation of states in Nigeria in 1976, such as to make it easier for the government to provide services to the people and make decisions that affect their lives.

3. Creation of states from each region (15 minutes)

• Show the students a list of the states that were created from each of the four regions in 1976.
• Ask the students to name some of the states and their locations.
• Explain that by dividing the country into smaller states, the government could focus more closely on the needs of the people in each state.

4. Discussion (10 minutes)

• Ask the students to share what they learned from the lesson.
• Encourage the students to ask questions and provide additional information on the topic.

5. Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Summarize the main points of the lesson.
• Remind the students of the importance of understanding the history of their country and how it has changed over time.

Assessment:

• At the end of the lesson, the teacher can ask the students to write a short paragraph about what they learned about the creation of states in Nigeria in 1976. The teacher can also use the multiple-choice questions from the previous answer to assess the students’ understanding of the topic. 

Weekly Test / Assessment

1. In 1976, Nigeria was divided into ________ regions.
2. The creation of states in Nigeria in ________ was done to make it easier for the government to provide services to the people and make decisions that affect their lives.
3. The four regions in Nigeria in 1976 were the ________, ________, ________, and ________.
4. The creation of states in Nigeria was done under the ________ of ________.
5. The ________ was one of the states created from the East region in 1976.
6. The ________ region was divided into two states in 1976.
7. The ________ region was divided into three states in 1976.
8. The ________ region was divided into four states in 1976.
9. The creation of states in Nigeria in 1976 helped the government to focus more closely on the needs of the people in each ________.
10. By dividing Nigeria into smaller states, the government was able to provide better services and make decisions that affected people’s lives more ________.