Deck 12: Nigeria

Question 1

In 1967, the Igbo attempted to secede and form their own country called

A) Biafra.
B) Eastern Nigeria.
C) Southern Nigeria.
D) The Republic of Nigeria.
E) Darfur.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Nigeria is bordered by

A) Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
B) Benin, Niger, Chad, and the Congo.
C) Ghana, Niger, Chad, and Sudan.
D) Botswana, Niger, Chad, and Ghana.
E) the Ivory Coast, Niger, Chad, and Botswana.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Both General Ibrahim Babangida and General Sani Abacha prolonged their rule by

A) promising to return the country to civilian rule and then regularly delaying it.
B) instituting themselves as "presidents-for-life."
C) setting up "transitional governments" that were meant to fail.
D) manipulating ethnic groups.
E) changing the country's constitution.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The modern state of Nigeria is about _____________ years old.

A) fifty
B) one hundred and fifty
C) two hundred
D) seventy five
E) ninety

Question 5

Acephalous societies

A) refer to societies where the constitution is not respected like Nigeria.
B) are another name for unfinished states like Nigeria
C) refer to highly centralized states, like the kingdoms that existed in precolonial Nigeria.
D) are also called autonomous societies.
E) refer to traditional societies that lack executive rule, such as certain societies in precolonial Nigeria.

Question 6

Nigeria's largest ethnic groups, which have dominated its politics since independence, are the

A) Hausa, the Falani and the Yoruba.
B) Hausa, the Kenum and the Yoruba.
C) Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
D) Hausa, Igbo and the Kenum.
E) Hausa, Igbo and the Karuni.

Question 7

Nigeria's Second Republic

A) was a parliamentary system.
B) was dominated by southern ethnic groups.
C) came about after the military ceded power to a hand-picked civilian government.
D) came to an end when the military staged a coup following elections marked by widespread fraud and violence.
E) lasted for over ten years.

Question 8

Nigeria's All Progressives Congress (APC)

A) holds the majority of seats in Senate, but not the House of Representatives.
B) holds the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, but not the Senate.
C) controls the majority of governorships.
D) was formed when several opposition parties united to oppose Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential election.
E) was the first multiethnic party to be formed in Nigeria.

Question 9

Nigeria's largest ethnic group is

A) predominately Christian.
B) the Yoruba.
C) the Igbo.
D) the Hausa.
E) the Karuni.

Question 10

Nigeria's smaller minority ethnic groups are located mainly in the

A) northeast, the Middle Belt and the southern minority zone.
B) northwest, the Middle Belt and the southern minority zone.
C) southeast, the Middle Belt and the southern minority zone.
D) southwest, the Middle Belt and the northern minority zone.
E) northern minority zone, the southern minority zone and the Middle Belt.

Question 11

Britain ruled Nigeria through local rulers and tribal chiefs in a system known as

A) divide and conquer.
B) indirect rule.
C) a patron-client relationship.
D) a fiefdom system.
E) neocolonialism.

Question 12

Which statement about Nigeria's economy is INCORRECT?

A) Since around 2000, Nigeria has not had an acute external debt.
B) Nigeria remains reliant upon developed industrial economies for capital, basic consumer items, and even raw materials.
C) Nigeria is the largest economy in West Africa.
D) Nigeria's dependence on oil revenues makes it susceptible to boom and bust cycles.
E) Nigeria has a high standing in global energy markets not only because of its oil resources but also because of its natural gas reserves.

Question 13

British colonialism helped to ensure that ethnicity would be the primary element in political identification and mobilization by

A) establishing administrative regions on the basis of language.
B) permitting the development of country-wide native associations.
C) fostering competition among ethnic groups.
D) suppressing local leaders.
E) fostering the development of tribal political parties.

Question 14

Which statement about Nigeria's population and geography is FALSE?

A) One out of every five Black Africans is Nigerian.
B) Nigeria's population is nearly 60 precent of West Africa's total.
C) Nigeria is evenly divided among Christians and Muslims.
D) Although Nigeria is the largest country in West Africa, its GDP accounts for less than a quarter of the total GDP of the subregion.
E) Nigeria is among the ten most populous countries in the world.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about Nigeria's precolonial era is NOT true?

A) Several precolonial societies had democratic elements.
B) Centralized states developed in both the north and the south.
C) Parts of the area were occupied by stateless societies with diffuse political authority.
D) Islam was introduced only through a series of jihads.
E) The Fulani Empire held sway until British colonial authority was imposed on Northern Nigeria in 1900.

Question 16

Since independence, Nigeria has had all of the following types of regimes EXCEPT

A) semipresidentialism.
B) presidentialism.
C) parliamentarianism.
D) direct military rule.
E) authoritarianism.

Question 17

The military first intervened to overthrow a civilian government in Nigeria about ____ after the country's independence in 1960.

A) six months
B) one year
C) six years
D) eighteen months
E) four years

Question 18

Nigeria's borders

A) coincide with traditional ethnic and tribal boundaries.
B) were arbitrarily drawn by the British to mark where their influence ended and the French's began.
C) coincide roughly with the boundaries of a single African polity that predated the arrival of the British.
D) were created by the League of Nations under its mandate system.
E) correspond to natural features.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the Fourth Republic is NOT true?

A) Its first president, Olusegun Obasjano, undertook a number of steps towards democratization, such as retiring military officers who held power under military governments, while he simultaneously sought to use nondemocratic means to sustain his stay in power.
B) The military has not intervened in politics.
C) Its second president, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, was largely ineffective due to failing health and political challenges.
D) It was formed after the military peacefully handed over power to an elected civilian government.
E) All transfers of power thus far have been without controversy.

Question 20

Nigeria's First Republic

A) lasted less than one year.
B) was a parliamentary system generally dominated by southern ethnic groups.
C) was a parliamentary system generally dominated by northern ethnic groups.
D) was a mixed system in which the three major ethnic groups were each ensured a leadership position.
E) was a constitutional monarchy.

Question 21

Which statement describes the difference between ethnic rotation and federal character ?

A) The former refers to a practice of rotating political offices among the different ethnic groups whereas the latter refers to the federal structures of the country.
B) The former refers to a practice of rotating political offices among the different ethnic groups whereas the latter refers to the practice of rotating federal political offices among the different states.
C) The former has never been violated whereas the latter threatens to be violated by President Jonathan's decision to run for reelection.
D) The former refers to a practice of rotating political offices among the different ethnic groups whereas the latter refers to the setting aside of ethnic quotas in government hiring practices.
E) The former is codified in the constitution whereas the latter is not.

Question 22

Which of the following statements about U.S. - Nigerian relations is NOT true?

A) During the Cold War, Nigeria's military governments generally aligned their foreign policies with that of the United States.
B) The United States buys about 8 percent of its oil exports from Nigeria and this has generally muted its criticism of Nigerian domestic politics.
C) Although he has maintained the county's close ties to the US, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan did not particularly emphasize this in his election campaigns.
D) A sizeable Nigerian diaspora exists in the United States and has recently begun to exercise some influence over American foreign affairs.
E) Since the 1960s, Christian Nigerians have been avid consumers of American Pentecostalism.

Question 23

Nigeria is not a member of the

A) G20.
B) United Nations.
C) the Economic Community of West African States.
D) Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
E) African Union.

Question 24

Both military and civilian governments of Nigeria have tended to adopt what kind of economic posture?

A) One characterized by laissez-faire, with the state playing a minimal role in the economy
B) An interventionist one with the state intruding unhindered into the major sectors of the economy
C) A mixed one involving some government planning and intervention, but with a strong market-based economy as well
D) A command economy involving the government setting five-year economic plans for the entire economy
E) A predatory one in which political leaders regularly use their positions for economic benefit

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT an illustration of the regional, religious, and ethnic dimensions of the Nigerian economy?

A) Christians argue that past governments have been tilted towards Muslims located in the north in terms of the distribution of economic resources, while Muslims fear that more current governments have tilted the balance towards the more Christian south.
B) Because the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba dominate Nigerian politics, these groups generally receive greater benefits from government economic activity than to minority ethnic groups.
C) Under British colonialism, investments were made in the infrastructure in the south thus resulting in a situation that resulted in better economic advancement in that area after independence.
D) Economic decline has contributed to the rise of Muslim, but not Christian fundamentalism.
E) Minority groups living in the oil-producing regions have undertaken actions, both peaceful and violent, in an effort to gain a greater share of oil revenues.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about the political and economic standing of women in Nigeria is INCORRECT?

A) Even though they form the bulk of agricultural producers, they are prohibited from owning land.
B) They are grossly underrepresented in the government.
C) Women's groups generally appeared earlier in southern Nigeria than in the north.
D) Increasingly, Nigerian women's groups have begun to focus on explicitly political goals.
E) In many areas of Nigeria, women control trading despite the patriarchal nature of the society.

Question 27

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan

A) holds doctorates in both political science and economics.
B) is a Muslim from the Niger Delta.
C) has announced that he has no intention of running for reelection in 2015.
D) has generally continued the policies of his predecessors.
E) began his political career as a governor.

Question 28

Nigeria's prolonged experience with military rule has resulted in a political culture that is primarily

A) democratic with widespread civic participation.
B) dictatorial.
C) dependent upon the military for support.
D) authoritarian despite the formal democratization of state institutions.
E) apathetic.

Question 29

Which statement about Nigeria's economic and social development is NOT correct?

A) Nigeria is listed very close to the bottom of the UNDP's Human Development Index.
B) Nigerian GDP per capita has steadily declined over the last ten years.
C) Wealth in Nigeria is very unevenly distributed.
D) The government spends less than 1 percent of the country's GDP on education and health.
E) Civilian Nigerian governments have generally sought to channel the country's oil revenue into programs meant to improve poverty.

Question 30

Which of the following statements about Nigeria's environment is FALSE?

A) Desertification has forced Muslim nomadic herdsmen to move to the more temperate areas settled by Christian farmers.
B) Pollution in the Niger Delta has killed off much of the local fish stock upon which communities depend.
C) Nigeria's growing population and urbanization has generated environmental problems.
D) One reason there was a military insurgency in the Niger Delta has to do with the fact that the military government failed to address the issues raised by environmental organizations.
E) Nigeria has generally been unaffected by rising sea levels that might be caused by climate change.

Question 31

Which of the following statements BEST describes how the Nigerian executive has evolved in the Fourth Republic?

A) It has become more centralized and more personalized.
B) It has become more dependent upon the support of other state institutions.
C) It has increasingly become more dependent upon the support of the military.
D) It has become increasingly decentralized with different ministers becoming more important than others.
E) Initially the center of the political system, it has increasingly become marginalized with the rise of other political institutions.

Question 32

Nigeria's structural adjustment program

A) brought about the rapid privatization of publicly owned firms to both domestic and foreign investors.
B) helped to alleviate poverty in the country significantly.
C) was necessary due to a number of economic problems including waning oil revenue, a growing debt burden, and balance of payments difficulties.
D) was enacted by a military regime prior to turning power over to civilians.
E) permitted the government to channel greater expenditures on social welfare programs.

Question 33

Clientelism is the practice by which a particular group receives disproportionate policy benefits or political favors from a political patron, usually at the expense of the larger society. In Nigeria, patrons are typically linked to clients by any of the following ties EXCEPT

A) ethnicity.
B) culture.
C) religion.
D) ideology.
E) language.

Question 34

Which statement about the executive under military rule is NOT accurate?

A) Major executive decisions were always subject to the approval of a ruling council of high-level military officers.
B) The leadership style of military heads of state varied considerably.
C) The military head of state made appointments to most senior government positions.
D) Patron - client relationships flourished which had the effect of structurally weakening the military overall.
E) The military juntas often of democratic transition in part to gain legitimacy.

Question 35

Rents refer to

A) any form of nonproductive economic activity undertaken by the government.
B) charges by the government for the use of natural resources by foreign companies.
C) government earnings that are not channeled back into investment of policies that would benefit the public good.
D) government earnings of any type.
E) government earnings that come in the form of hard currency.

Question 36

Arguably, President Obasanjo's greatest economic achievement was

A) improving the average GDP of Nigeria.
B) paying off much of the country's massive foreign debt.
C) implementing a government-funded universal primary education system.
D) privatizing the oil industry.
E) curbing the country's rampant corruption.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT an indication that Nigeria has sought to play an important role in African politics?

A) It has borne a disproportionate share of the costs associated with the Economic Community of West African States.
B) It has been a major provider of peacekeeping forces throughout Africa.
C) It played a leading role in transforming the Organization for African Unity into the African Union.
D) It adopted a nonaligned stance during the Cold War insisting that this conflict had little to do with African politics.
E) Its leaders have helped to mediate crises in the region.

Question 38

Vision 2010 and its various successors have called for all of the following EXCEPT

A) diversifying Nigeria's export base beyond oil.
B) central bank autonomy.
C) rebuilding Nigeria's education system.
D) encouraging population growth both to support the labor market and to build a domestic market.
E) meaningful privatization.

Question 39

Which statement about parastatals in Nigeria is INCORRECT?

A) Parastatals refer only to industries indirectly owned and managed by the state.
B) Nigeria began to establish parastatals in the 1970s.
C) Nigeria began to divest itself of its parastatals as part of its structural adjustment program.
D) Although the government has sold off many of its parastatals, the state remains the country's biggest employer and the most important source of revenue.
E) One reason parastatals were established was to accelerate economic development in Nigeria.

Question 40

The Nigerian national question could best be stated as

A) should Nigeria have a presidential or parliamentary system?
B) how is the country to be governed given its great diversity?
C) how should Nigeria privatize its state-owned industries?
D) which religion should be adopted as the national religion?
E) should Nigeria remain a single country?

Question 41

Which statement about Nigerian youth is INCORRECT?

A) More than 75 percent of Nigerian youth live on less than a dollar a day.
B) Over 70 percent of Nigerians are under the age of 30 and almost half are under the age of 19.
C) At least a fifth of younger Nigerians are unemployed.
D) Mainstream political organizations are dominated by older Nigerians while many antistate organizations are dominated by the young.
E) The main reason Nigeria's population is skewed toward young people is that, while birthrates are dropping, the country still has a low life expectancy rate.

Question 42

Which statement about Boko Haram is INCORRECT?

A) It has been chiefly active in the Niger Delta.
B) In response to its activities, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three states.
C) It received support form Al Qaeda affiliates.
D) It views Nigeria's secular education system as corrupt and immoral.
E) It has been chiefly active in the north.

Question 43

Which statement about Nigeria's bureaucracy is INCORRECT?

A) The salaries of federal and state bureaucracies account for about half of government expenditures.
B) Positions with both federal and state bureaucracies have tended to be appointed on the basis of patronage.
C) There has never been any serious effort to reform bureaucracies in Nigeria.
D) Nigeria's bureaucracy became increasingly "Africanized" prior to independence.
E) The size of Nigeria's bureaucracy has shrunk since independence.

Question 44

Although endowed with rich natural resources, Nigeria is one of the poorest countries in the world, illustrating that

A) colonialism hinders even resource-rich countries from developing.
B) political and institutional development and stability and sound economic policy are necessary for growth.
C) exploitation by multinational corporations can impoverish even resource-rich countries.
D) resources alone provide a poor basis for economic development.
E) global financial institutions work to the disadvantage of poor nations.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about Nigeria's shari'a courts is NOT correct?

A) They are bound by decisions handed down by the country's Supreme Court.
B) Traditionally, their jurisdiction was limited to civil cases and those involving Islamic personal law.
C) Their decisions have been successfully challenged at the appellate level.
D) They exist in many northern states.
E) Although the president challenged the extension of their jurisdiction into criminal cases, the Supreme Court ruled against him.

Question 46

Prebendalism -a form of clientelism in which political offices and state rents are disbursed to one's clients for their personal benefit-has had all of the following effects EXCEPT

A) it has deepened the country's sectional cleavages.
B) it has eroded the state's resources.
C) it has expanded the class of individuals dependent upon state.
D) it has weakened the power of the president.
E) it has led to rampant corruption.

Question 47

Which of the following about the business community in Nigeria is NOT true?

A) Business groups have frequently supported and colluded with corrupt military and civilian governments.
B) Recently, business groups have begun to take a more political stance by advocating better governance.
C) The Nigerian business class has historically been described as "pirate capitalists" due to their corrupt practices and high level of collusion with state officials.
D) The largest business organization is the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture.
E) Business groups have never had a say in the development of economic policy.

Question 48

Which of the following BEST describes Nigerian political culture?

A) A strong sense of nationalism developed in response to outside interference
B) A lack of a sense of national identity, instead remaining loyal to their ethnic, regional, and religious groups
C) A weak sense of nationality leading to strong support for regional integration
D) A strong sense a unified concept of Nigerian citizenship
E) A weak sense of national unity leading to support for separatist movements

Question 49

Which of the following about religion in Nigeria is NOT true?

A) Nigeria's population is roughly split between Islam and Christianity, although some traditional belief systems persist.
B) Religious tensions have been most volatile in the Middle Belt region of the country.
C) The major Christian denomination in Nigeria is Catholicism.
D) Religious identities generally are associated with ethnic identities in Nigeria.
E) Religious cultures have consistently clashed over political issues such as the secular character of the state.

Question 50

Which statement BEST describes Nigeria's policy-making process?

A) It is mainly based upon top-down directives.
B) It is mainly based upon extensive consultation with relevant civic society actors.
C) It is mainly based upon compromises hashed out among political elites.
D) It occurs within a well-defined constitutional framework.
E) It is mainly defined by tight "policy circles" that encompass both government and nongovernment actors.

Question 51

A recent survey has indicated that most Nigerians

A) prefer democratic rule over other alternatives.
B) have concerns about the pace of democratization.
C) have begun to question the merits of democratic rule.
D) prefer democratic rule over other alternatives but are concerned about both the slow pace of reform and corruption.
E) believe that it is necessary to divide the country into separate nations along ethnic lines.

Question 52

Under Nigeria's federal system,

A) states are highly dependent upon the federal government for the bulk of their income.
B) states, but not local governments, have taxation power.
C) states, but not local governments, have total control over the resources within their borders.
D) states serve as patronage outposts for the president.
E) the governments of states and larger cities are represented at the national level.

Question 53

Which of the following BEST describes Nigeria's labor unions?

A) Although ethnic, regional, and religious differences have hampered their solidarity, they have served as an important challenge to the government and a potent force in society.
B) They are extremely corrupt and have colluded with the federal government for rents.
C) Due to a history of state corporatism, they have been co-opted by the government and fail to act independently.
D) They have never been a significant force in Nigeria.
E) Because they are highly fragmented along ethnic, regional and religious differences, their political impact has been minimal.

Question 54

In the Fourth Republic, Nigerian civil society groups have sought to influence politics through all of the following tactics EXCEPT

A) direct actions like strikes and protests.
B) forming relations with the National Assembly and state legislatures.
C) forming close relations with political parties.
D) establishing close ties to state officials.
E) exposing government corruption.

Question 55

Which of the following best describes the current state of Nigerian political parties?

A) They have consistently been divided along ethnic lines.
B) They have consistently been divided along ideological lines.
C) They are elite-centered structures that lack an ideological basis and exist mostly to capture power.
D) They compete vigorously at the local and state level but not at the federal level.
E) They have consistently been divided along religious lines.

Question 56

The National Assembly refers to

A) both chambers of Nigeria's legislature.
B) the upper chamber of Nigeria's legislature.
C) the lower chamber of Nigeria's legislature.
D) the bicameral legislature that was established with the Third Republic.
E) the consultative body that exists alongside Nigeria's legislature.

Question 57

Which statement about the Nigerian judiciary is NOT correct?

A) The Supreme court consists of nine appointed justices, including a chief justice.
B) After being severely compromised during the years of military rule, the judiciary has become increasingly independent.
C) State are permitted to establish their own courts based on customary or religious law.
D) Most courts in Nigeria are based on common law.
E) Secular courts retain supreme jurisdiction if conflicts arise between customary and secular law.

Question 58

The rise of multiethnic parties in the Fourth Republic has

A) forced Nigerian elites to bargain and compromise.
B) greatly reduced corruption.
C) significantly weakened divisions based on ethnic identity.
D) forced Nigerian presidents to rely upon state governors to retain power.
E) forced Nigerian parties to adopt fairly specific platforms as a means to enhance their national appeal.

Question 59

Which party has emerged as the dominant one in the Fourth Republic?

A) The People's Democratic Party (PDP)
B) The All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP)
C) The All Progressives Congress (APC)
D) The National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
E) The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)

Question 60

The Occupy Nigeria movement mobilized to

A) protest the government's removal of fuel subsidies.
B) call for serious investigations into allegations of government corruption.
C) call for greater privatization and economic liberalization.
D) press the federal government to accede to demands by states for greater control of the resources within their borders.
E) press for investigations of alleged ties between the Nigerian government and foreign corporations.

Question 61

Explain what is meant when we say that Nigeria is an unfinished state.  What steps need to be taken in order to address this?

Question 62

Multiethnic states may often face two problems, secession and nation-building (i.e the building of a common national identity).  Illustrate how both of these have been evident in the case of Nigeria, both in the country's past and today.

Question 63

Civil society groups have played an important role in Nigerian politics. First, discuss why such groups became the primary institutions of representation in the country. Next, discuss the role these groups play in voicing public interests in contemporary Nigeria.

Question 64

Explain what is meant by "the national question" and how Nigerians have attempted to address it.

Question 65

Nigeria is experiencing significant violence in the North and the Delta region.  Explain the roots causes of this violence.  Assess the extent to which these situations threaten the processes of democratization and nation-building in the country.

Question 66

The multiethnic character of Nigeria has had profound impacts on the country's political development. Which would you say have been the most important of these? Justify your argument.

Question 67

Describe how corruption has interfered with Nigeria's economic and political development. What attempts have been made to combat corruption? Have these been successful? Why or why not?

Question 68

Contemporary Nigerian politics may be described as a competitive oligarchy. First, explain what this means. Next, describe the forms that this competition takes. Third, assess the impact of this competition upon the democratization process.  Finally, discuss some steps that can be taken to rectify this situation.

Question 69

Nigeria's four republics (periods of civilian rule) have seen different types of party systems. How did the parties of the First and Second Republics differ from those of the Third and Fourth? What do you see as different about the parties of the Fourth Republic, and what are their strengths and weaknesses compared to their predecessors? What bearing does this assessment have upon the democratization process in Nigeria?

Question 70

Nigeria has spent most of its independent existence under military rule. What have been some of the most important legacies of military rule with which the Fourth Republic has had to contend? How have these been addressed? Which remain the most destabilizing?