Government of Nigeria

President is the Head of State, the Chief Executive of the Federation as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

A Vice President assists the President. The Vice President is nominated by the presidential candidate as his running mate for election to the office of President. This nominated presidential associate, or running mate, automatically becomes the Vice President if the President is elected. The Vice President's tenure of office is concurrent with that of the President. He assumes the office of President if that office becomes vacant before the expiration of their term, by reason of death or resignation or the removal of the President from office on the terms provided for in the Constitution.

The Ministers

The President is empowered by the Constitution to appoint Ministers after due screening and confirmation of the list of nominees by the Senate, and to assign to them responsibilities for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of that government. The Constitution enjoins the President to appoint his ministers from all the 36 States of the Federation. No Minister appointed to the Federal Executive Council or Cabinet from a Legislative post is allowed to serve concurrently as a member of the National Assembly. Where a member of the National Assembly is appointed a Minister, he or she is deemed to have resigned his membership of any of the Assemblies on his taking the oath of office as a Minister.

The Federal Legislature

The highest law-making body of the Federation is the National Assembly. The Assembly is made up of an upper House known as the Senate and a lower house known as the House of Representatives.

The Senate, is headed by a Senate President, who is supported by a Deputy Senate President. The Senate consists of three members from each of  the States of the Federation and one member from the Federal Capital Territory. Thus, the Senate has a total of 109 members. The House of Representatives is presided over by the Speaker of the House supported by a Deputy Speaker.

The National Assembly has responsibility for making laws for the good governance of the Federation. Each of the Houses of the Assembly is made up of several specialized Committees whose work focus on aspects of national life. All members of the Assembly, in accordance with the Constitution, are required to sit for a minimum of 181 days in a year.

The power of the National Assembly to make laws is exercised through bills passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and assented to by the President. A bill may originate from either house of the Assembly but cannot become law until it has been passed by both Houses and assented to by the President.

When a bill from the Assembly is presented to the President for his assent, the Constitution stipulates that the President shall, within 30 days thereafter, signify that his assents or withholds assent. And if the President withholds his assent and the bill is again . passed by two-thirds majority in each House, such a bill becomes law, requiring no further presidential assent.

The Judiciary

While the Legislature is responsible for making laws and the Executive is charged with the implementation of such law, the Judiciary is responsible for the interpretation of the law in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees the independence of the Judiciary.

The Constitution provides for Federal and State Courts, as well as Election Tribunals.
 At the apex of the Judiciary is the Supreme Court.

The Federal Courts are:

• The Supreme Court
• The Court of Appeal
• The Federal High Court
• The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
• The Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
• The Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory.

 The State Courts are:

• The High Court
• The Sharia Court of Appeal
• The Customary Court of Appeal

The Election Tribunals are:

The National Assembly Election Tribunals
The Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunals

The State Government

The Nigerian Federation is comprised of  a total of thirty six states and 774 individual Local Government units.
 

States' Map. Click map  for a larger picture

Click Here To See The List of State Governors
 

Each of the thirty-six States that make up the Nigerian Federation is administered by a Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is the Governor of the State and is elected, like the president, to a four-year term of office in the first instance. The Governor is assisted in the discharge of his duties and responsibilities by a Deputy Governor. The governor is empowered to appoint commissioners and advisers and to assign responsibilities to them. The governor, deputy governor and commissioners constitute the State Executive Council. They cannot be members of the State House of Assembly.

The State House of Assembly is the unicameral legislature for the State. It comprises representatives from all the local government areas within the state, it exercises identical functions at the state level with those of the National Assembly at the federal level. It makes laws for the good governance of the state, and acts as a check and balance on the powers and actions of the State's Chief Executive. The House of Assembly of each state consists of three times the total number of seats which the state has in the House of Representatives.

The Local Government

The local government is the third tier of the administrative structure in Nigeria. There are 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country. The functions of Local Governments, as spelt out in the Constitution, are as follows:

a. Consideration and making of recommendations to the State commission on economic planning or any similar body on economic development of the State, particularly in so far as the area of authority of the Council and of the State are affected;

b. Collection of rates, and radio and television licenses;

c. Establishment and maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds and homes for the destitute or infirmed;

d. Licensing of bicycles, trucks (other than mechanically propelled trucks), canoes, wheel barrows and carts;

e. Establishment, maintenance and regulation of markets, motor parks and public conveniences;

f. Construction and maintenance of roads, streets, drains and other public highways, parks, open spaces, or such public facilities as may be prescribed from time to time by the House of Assembly of a State;

g. Naming of roads 'and streets and numbering of houses;

h. Provision and maintenance Of public conveniences and refuse disposal;

i. Registration of births, deaths and marriages;

j. Assessment of privately-owned houses or tenements for the purpose of levying such rates as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a Stale; and,

k. Control and regulation of:

The local government councils also work hand- in-hand with state governments on issues such as:

a. the provision and maintenance of primary education;

b. the development of agriculture and natural resources, other than the exploitation of minerals, and

c the provision and maintenance of health services.

Each local government area is administered by a Local Government Council. The Council comprises a chairman who is the Chief Executive of the LGA, and other elected members who are referred to as Councilors.

The Chairman is normally elected, but can, under special circumstances, also be appointed. He/she supervises the activities of the local government and presides over all meetings of the Council.

All members are enjoined by law to meet, as far as practicable, the aspirations of the people who elect them. Committees, focusing on specific issues, play very important roles in the day-to-day business of the councilors. They assist the Councils in decision-making and are usually required to report their discussions to the councils.

A Local Government Council is the pivot of socio-economic planning and development in its area of authority. Being also the tier of government closest to the people, it is considered a most important facilitator of economic and social development at the grassroots.

Back To Main Page                           Back To Top

© Copyright 2004. Nigerian Embassy, Philippines
Designed by : Michael C. Chukwunyelu