Local Government

Contents & notes: what this topic covers

Under Local Government, the JAMB Government syllabus expects you to study:

• 11. Local Government: a. Local Government Administration prior to 1976;
• b. Features of Local Government Reforms (1976, 1989) – structure, functions, finance and inter- governmental relations;
• c. Traditional Rulers and Local Governments;
• d. Problems of Local Government Administration in Nigeria.

Study notes & guidance

Study Local Government using a recommended Government textbook that follows the JAMB syllabus. Work through the contents listed above one by one, make brief notes in your own words, and then practise as many questions on this topic as you can — in Government, understanding and steady practice matter far more than memorising. Use the objectives below as a checklist: if you can do each one confidently, you have mastered this topic.

Objectives — candidates should be able to

After studying Local Government, you should be able to:

1. Trace the evolution and structure of Local Government;
2. Identify the major problems faced by Local Governments;
3. Analyse the roles of Traditional Rulers in the Local Government system in Nigeria.

These objectives are from the official JAMB syllabus. Use them as a checklist — if you can do each one confidently, you have mastered this topic.

Source: official JAMB UTME Government syllabus (IBASS, jamb.gov.ng). Reproduced for study use. Last checked: 17 Sept 2026. Always confirm the current syllabus on the official portal.