HomeJUPEB Syllabus 2026JUPEB Government Syllabus 2026/2027 & Textbooks

JUPEB Government Syllabus 2026/2027 & Textbooks

By February 4, 2026 JUPEB Syllabus 2026 0 Comments

2026/2027 covers The JUPEB Government Syllabus 2026/2027 covers core political science principles, including constitutionalism (types and features), citizenship, ideologies, party systems, pressure groups, and public opinion. The curriculum focuses on both foundational political concepts (GOV 001) and political processes (GOV 002), designed for advanced-level direct entry candidates.

The JUPEB Government Syllabus 2026/2027: focuses on political theory, international relations, public administration, comparative politics, and Nigerian political development, split into four modules across two semesters. It covers concepts like power, sovereignty, and state structures. Government is a key subject for arts and social science disciplines, including law, political science, sociology, and international relations.

JUPEB Government Syllabus 2026/2027

JUPEB First Semester Courses for Government

COURSE CODECOURSE TITLE CREDIT LOAD
GOV001Elements of Government 3 Units
GOV002Fundamentals of Government 3 Units

JUPEB FIRST SEMESTER Government SYLLABUS

 GOVERNMENT JUPEB SYLLABUS
SNTOPICSSYLLABUS
 FIRST SEMESTER
 GOV001: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT
1NATURE OF GOVERNMENT OF POLITICSi. Definition of Government and Politicsii. Rationale for Studying Government as an Academic Discipline.iii. Definitions of Politics. Debate on the Scientific Status of Politicsiv. Methods and Approaches to the Study of Government and Politics: Philosophical, Normative, Institutional, Historical, Comparative, Qualitative and Quantitative, Behavioural, Empirical.v. Relationship between the Study of Government and Politics and other Academic Discipline e.g. Law, Economics, Geography, Sociology, and Psychologyvi. Scope of Government and Politics: Political Theory, Political Economy, International Relations, Public Administration and Local Government, Comparative Politics, Peace and Conflict Studies, National Politics.
2BASIC CONCEPTS OF GOVERNMENTi. Power

ii. Influence

iii. Authority

iv. Legitimacy

v. Sovereignty

vi. Nation

vii. Political Culture

viii. Political Socialization.

ix. Political Participation
3THE STATE, STRUCTURE & TYPES OF GOVERNMENTi. The Nature, Purpose, and Functions of the Modern State.

ii. Theories of the State.

iii. Characteristics of the State.

iv. Types of State: Unitary, Federal, and Confederal

v. Structure of Government. The Executive, The Legislature, The Judiciary.

vi. Functions, Relationship, Strengths, and Weaknesses The Nature, Purpose, and Functions of the Modern State.

vii. Theories of the State. Characteristics of the State.

viii. Types/Systems of Government Parliamentary, Presidential Monarchy, Authonaran, Totalitarian, Oligeschy, Aristocracy, Military. and Weaknesses.

ix. Types/Systems of Government: Parliamentary, Presidential, Monarchy, Authoritarian, Totalitarian, Oligarchy, Aristocracy, Military.
4CONSTITUTION & CONSTITUTIONALISMi. Definitions of Constitution and Constitutionalism.

ii. Types of Constitution: Written and Unwritten, Unitary and Federal, Flexible and Rigid.

iii. Relationship Between Constitution and Constitutionalism

iv. Features of Constitutionalism:
a) Rule of law
b) Separation of Powers
c) Supremacy of the Constitution
d) Fundamental Human Rights
e) Independence of the Judiciary
f) Checks and Balances

v. Constitutionalism: Myth or Reality?
5GOVERNANCE & CITIZENSHIPi. Meaning and Nature of Governance

ii. Differences Between Government and Governance.

iii. Democracy and Democratization

iv. Citizenship: Who is a Citizen?

v. Ways of Acquiring Citizenship, Rights of Citizens, Duties and Obligations of Citizens.
 GOV002: FUNDAMENTALS OF GOVERNMENT
6POLITICAL IDEAS & THOUGHTSi. The Concept of, Meaning, Nature and Functions of Ideology.

ii. Types of Ideology
a) Communalism
b) Feudalism
c) Capitalism and Imperialism
d) Fascism and Nazism
e) Nationalism
f) Marxism, Socialism and Communism
g) Totalitarianism
h) Anarchism
i) Globalization

iii. Political Thoughts: Social Contract Theory as advanced by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, Jean Jacque; Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham.
7POLITICAL PARTIES, PARTY SYSTEM & PRESSURE GROUPSi. Definitions and Functions of
Political Parties

ii. Organs of Political Parties

iii. Types of Political Parties

iv. Party System and Types of Party System

v. Relationship between Party Systems and Political Parties

vi. Meaning, Types, and Functions of Pressure Groups

vii. Modes of operation and Tactics of Pressure Groups

viii. Comparison between Political Parties and Pressure Groups
8PUBLIC OPINION & PROPAGANDAi. Definition, Functions, and Measurement of Public Opinion

ii. Meaning and Nature of Propaganda

iii. Function, Tactics, and Strategies of Propaganda
9ELECTIONS & ELECTORAL SYSTEMi. Definitions of Election

ii. Meaning of Suffrage

iii. History and Evolution of Suffrage

iv. Types of Suffrage

v. Purpose of Elections

vi. Condition for Free and Fair
Elections

vii. Meaning and Types of Electoral Systems

viii. Electoral Institutions eg: FEDECO, NECON, NEC, INEC.

ix. Factors Militating Against Free and Fair Elections
10POLITICAL & SOCIAL CHANGEi. Meaning and Nature of Political and Social Change

ii. Reactionary Change

iii. Reformatory Change

iv. Revolutionary Change

v. Concepts of Stability and Instability

vi. Terrorism and Insurgency

vii. Military Intervention in Politics

viii. Theories and Causes of Military Intervention

ix. Civil-Military Relations
11PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONi. Definitions

ii. Theories of Public Administration

iii. The Organization and Structure of Public Administration.

iv. Bureaucracy: Concepts, features, Strength and Weaknesses.

v. The Civil Service: Characteristic and Functions

vi. The Policy Process: Formulation

vii. Implementation and Evaluation

viii. Public Corporations

ix. Local Government Administration
12INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSi. Definitions

ii. Difference between international relations and international politics

iii. Foreign policy and it’s determinants

iv. Globalization

v. History, Structure, Achievements and Failures of International Organizations:
a) ECOWAS
b) African Union
c) Commonwealth of Nation United Nations Organization
d) International Monetary Fund (IMF)
e) World Bank

JUPEB Second Semester Courses for Government

COURSE CODECOURSE TITLECREDIT LOAD 
GOV003Nigerian Government & Politics3 Units
GOV004African Government & Politics3 Units

JUPEB SECOND SEMESTER Government SYLLABUS

SECOND SEMESTER
GOV003: NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
PRE-COLONIAL SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIAi. Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo

14. Colonial Administration in Nigeria
i. Indirect Rule System

ii. Nationalism-Rise, Growth and Effects

iii. Constitutional Development in Nigeria: 1914-1960

iv. Constitutional Development in Nigeria: 1960 to Present
DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN NIGERIAi. Colonial and First Republic Political Parties
a) The Nigerian National I Party (NNDP) Democrati
b) The Nigerian Youth (NYM) Movement
c) The National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NUNC
d) The Action Group (AG)
e) The Northern Peoples’ Congress (NIC)
f) The NEPU, UMBC, NNDP, NDC,

ii. Second Republic Political Parties
a) The National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
b) The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)
c) The Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NPP)
d) The Great Nigeria Peoples’ Party (GNPP)
e) The Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP)
f) The Nigeria Advance Party (NAP)

iii. Third Republic Political Parties
a) The National Republican Convention (NRC)
b) The Social Democratic Party (SDP)

iv. Fourth Republic Political Parties
a) The All People’s Party
b) The Alliance for Democracy (AD)
c) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
d) The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
e) The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)
f) All Progressives Congress (APC)
g) All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), etc.
ELECTIONS & ELECTORAL PROCESS IN NIGERIAi. Historical Background to Elections in Nigeria

ii. Types of Electoral Systems in Nigeria

iii. Party Politics in Nigeria

iv. General Elections in Nigeria: 1959, 1964, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015

v. Problems of Elections in Nigeria
MAJOR POLITICAL CRISIS IN NIGERIAi. Aba Women Riot of 1929

ii. Military Rule in Nigeria

iii. The Kano Riots 1953

iv. Action Group Crisis of 1962

v. The Census Crisis of 1962/63

vi. Nigerian-Biafra Civil War of 1967 to 1970

vii. Electoral Crises In Nigeria: June 12, 1993, 2011 Post Election Violence

viii. Niger Delta Crisis

ix. Boko Haram Terrorism
REASONS FOR MILITARYi. Background to Military Rule of Military Regimes

ii. Structure of military regime

iii. Reasons for military Intervention/Coup d’état Military Regimes: Ironsi, Gowon, Muritala, Obasanjo, Buhari Idiagbon, Babangida, Abacha, and Abdulsalami Abubakar

iv. Achievements and Failures of Military Rule in Nigeria

v. Military disengagement from Politics: Transition to Civil Rule Programmes of Military Regimes and Military Professionalism
NIGERIAN FOREIGN POLICYi. History and Objectives

ii. National Interest and its Determinants

iii. The Determinants of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

iv. Evaluation of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy by Regimes
GOV004: AFRICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
AFRICA BEFORE EUROPEAN INVASIONi. Pre-colonial systems and contact consequences
COLONIAL SYSTEMS OF ADMINISTRATION IN AFRICAi. Indirect Rule System

ii. Policy of Assimilation and Association
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SELECTED WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES
i. Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN WEST AFRICAi. French and British Nationalist Movements Compared
MILITARY INTERVENTION IN AFRICAi. Nature of African Armies at Independence

ii. Nature of Post-Colonial Politics in Africa

iii. Military intervention in selected African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Uganda, Egypt, Congo etc

iv. Characteristics of Military rule in Africa

v. Disengagement of Military from Politics: Transition Programmes
DEMOCRATIZATION & POLITICAL PROCESS IN AFRICAi. Characteristics of Military rule in Africa

ii. Disengagement of Military from Politics: Transition Programmes

iii. Evaluation of the democratization process

JUPEB Government Textbooks
2026/2027

  • Adamolekun, Ladipo (1993). Politics and Administration. Oxford: Politics and Books Collective.
  • Appadorai, A. (1979). The Substance of Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Anifowose, Remi & Enemuo, Francis (eds.) (1999). Elements of Politics. Lagos: Iroanusi Publications.
  • Anyabolu, I. Oliver (2000). Nigeria: Past to Present. Enugu: Classic Publishing Company Ltd.
  • Awofeso, Olu & Udokang, James Cosmas (2015). Political Ideas: An Introduction.
  • Awofeso, Olu (2014). Constitutional Development in Nigeria: Historical and Political Analysis. Lagos: MacGrace Publishers.
  • Bassey, O. C. & Ozumba, G. O. (eds.) (2012). Introduction to Political Science. Lagos: Concept Publications.
  • Ezeani, E. O. (2006). Fundamentals of Public Administration. Enugu: Snaap Press Publishers Nigeria Ltd.
  • Koonings, Kees & Kruijt, Dirk (eds.) (2002). Political Armies: The Military and Nation-Building in the Age of Democracy. London & New York: Zed Books.
  • Okolie, A. M. & Onah, V. C. (eds.) (2016). Politics and Law in Africa. Abakaliki: Appleseed & WillyRose Publishers.
  • Nnoli, Okwudiba (2003). Introduction to Politics. Enugu: PACREP Publishers.
  • Omotosho, Moshood (2012). Basic Concepts in Citizenship. Kaduna: T90 Publicity.
  • Oyediran, Oyeleye (2007). Nigerian Constitutional Development. Ibadan: Oyediran Consults International.
  • Oyediran, Oyeleye et al. (eds.) (2011). Government. Lagos: Longman Nigeria Plc.
  • Oyediran, Oyeleye (1998). Introduction to Political Science. Ibadan: Oyediran Consults International.
  • Basu, Rumki (2005). Public Administration: Concepts and Theories. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
  • Stillman, Richard J. (2010). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
  • Mukherjee, Subrata & Ramaswamy, Sushila (2007). A History of Political Thought: Plato to Marx. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd.

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