The Primary Governmental Structure of Nigeria
- According to the U.S. Department of State’s website, Nigeria first became independent in 1960. Since then, the government has gone through four versions of its constitutions, the most recent being adopted in 1999. The constitution is divided into eight chapters and lays the foundation for law regarding everything in the government from the executive office to the Nigerian police force.
- The structure of the Nigerian government was modeled largely after the United States. They have a president who acts as head of state. The president is elected by popular vote and, like the United States’ president, can serve a maximum of two four-year terms.
- Nigeria has a 109-seat Senate and a 360-seat House of Representatives. These branches act to balance the amount of power held by the president. The Senate and House serve together in a bicameral law-making body known as the National Assembly. As with the president, members of the House and Senate are chosen by popular vote and serve four-year terms; unlike the president, however, there is no cap on the number of terms they can serve.
- The Supreme Court of Nigeria meets in Abuja, Nigeria’s central district and capital. No more than 21 justices can serve at a time. The president is charged with appointing the justices, and they must be confirmed by the Senate before serving. The Supreme Court is overseen by the Chief Justice who acts as the head of the judicial branch of Nigeria. The current model for the Supreme Court of Nigeria was created in 1990 by the Supreme Court Act.
- Nigeria’s government, while more stable than many African nations, has been plagued with its share of corruption. According to the 2008 Global Integrity Report, “Nigeria continues to suffer from poor accountability across all branches of government.” The report rated Nigeria relatively well in terms of its anti-corruption law, voting participation and election integrity; however, Nigeria scored low in several categories, including access to information, political financing and whistle-blowing measures.