WAEC Government Syllabus 2025/2026
Get straight A’s when you read and study with this WAEC Government Syllabus 2025/2026. Writing Government Exams for WAEC. The key subjects that will be covered in your exam questions are compiled in the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC) WAEC Government Syllabus 2025/2026.
Anyone writing government on the upcoming WAEC exams should read this article through to the end because it contains answers to some of your exam-related questions as well as a list of textbooks that will help you better understand the topics WAEC will be using as the basis for the questions.
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Contents
WAEC Government Syllabus 2025/2026
PURPOSE AND GOALS
Paper 1 and Paper 2 are the two papers that will be presented. First and second papers,
The purpose of this syllabus is to evaluate the candidates’ capacity to:
- (a) define the terms of government and demonstrate their comprehension of its institutions, procedures, and guiding principles.
- (b) acknowledge their contributions to the attainment of national development and their role as knowledgeable citizens.
- (c) Assess West African governments’ achievements, shortcomings, and issues.
- (d) Examine colonial and post-independence constitutional processes and developments.
- (e) value their nation’s position in the global community.
- The examination schedule
Paper 1 and Paper 2 are the two required papers that will be taken. Composite papers 1 and 2 will be taken all at once.
PAPER 1: This will consist of fifty multiple-choice objective questions drawn.
Government Syllabus for WAEC Exams 2025/2026
WAEC SYLLABUS FOR GOVERNMENT | ||
| SN | TOPICS | OBJECTIVES |
| THEME | ||
| 1 | MEANING AND SCOPE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER – GOVERNMENT | (i) Government as an institution of the state . Definition of state, features, structure and functions. (ii) Government as a process or art or governing. (iii) Government as an academic field of study – reasons for studying government. |
| 2 | BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT | (i) Basic concepts – State, *Society, *Nation, Power, Authority, Legitimacy, Sovereignty, Democracy, Political Culture and Socialization, Communalism, Feudalism and oligarchy, *Liberalism, Socialism, Communism, Capitalism, Fascism, Aristocracy, Totalitarianism. Meaning and features. (ii) Basic principles – Rule of Law, Fundamental Human Rights, Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances, Constitutionalism, Political participation, Representative Government, Centralization and Decentralization – (Delegated Legislation, Devolution and Decentralization). |
| 3 | CONSTITUTIONS | (i) Definition and Sources (ii) Functions (iii) Types and Features , (Written and Unwritten, Rigid and Flexible). |
| 4 | ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT | The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary – Judicial Independence. (Types, Structure, Composition/membership; Functions; powers and limitations). |
| 5 | STATE STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GOVERNMENT | (a) Types – Unitary, Federal, Confederal, Presidential or Non-parliamentary, Parliamentary or Cabinet, Monarchical and Republican. Meaning, types, features, merits and demerits. |
| 6 | CITIZENSHIP | Meaning, mode of acquisition, rights, duties and obligations of individuals in the state. Means of safeguarding rights of citizens. |
| 7 | POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEMS | (i) Political Parties – definition, organization/structure, and functions. (ii) Party Systems – definition, types, merits and demerits. |
| 8 | PRESSURE GROUPS, PUBLIC OPINION AND MASS MEDIA | (i) Pressure Groups – definition, types, mode of operation and functions; (ii) Public opinion – definition, formation, Measurement and importance; (iii) Mass Media – definition, roles and impact. |
| 9 | THE ELECTORAL SYSTEMS, PROCESSES AND ELECTORAL MANAGEMENT BODY | (a) Electoral Systems and Processes (i) Election- Meaning and purpose of elections. (ii) Franchise – meaning, and limitations. (iii) Types, advantages and disadvantages of Electoral Systems. (b) Electoral Management Body – definition, functions, problems/constrains. |
| 10 | PUBLIC/CIVIL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION | (i) Public/Civil Service – Meaning, Structure, Characteristics and Functions. (ii) Public/Civil Service Commission –meaning and Functions. (iii) Public Corporations – definition, purposes, functions, control, challenges, need for commercialization and privatization. (iv) Local Governments – Meaning, structure, Purposes, Functions, Sources of revenue, control and problems. |
| 11 | PRE-COLONIAL POLITICAL SYSTEM OF CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES | The Structural Organization of the following: (a) Nigeria – Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba and the Igbo. (b) Ghana – The Akan and the Talensi. (c) Sierra Leone – The Mende and Temme. (d) The Gambia – The Wolof, Mandingo and Jola. (e) Liberia – The Vai and the Kru. |
| 12 | COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION | (i) The Policy and Structure of the British Colonial Administration – Crown Colony, Protectorate and Indirect Rule. (ii) The Policy of French Colonial Administration – Assimilation and Association (Loi Cadre). (iii) Impact, Advantages and disadvantages of Colonial Rule. |
| 13 | NATIONALISM IN CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES | (i) Nationalism: Meaning, factors and effects. (ii) Key Nationalist leaders/movements and their contributions. |
| 14 | CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES | (i) Pre-Independence Constitutions – (a) Nigeria (features) – Clifford 1922 Richards 1946 Macpherson 1951 Lyttleton 1954 (b) Ghana (features, merits and demerits) – Clifford 1916 Guggisberg 1925 Burns 1946 Arden Clarke 1951 Nkrumah 1954 (c) Sierra Leone (features, merits and demerits) – Slatter 1924 Stevenson 1947 Beresford Stooke 1951 The 1956 and 1958 Constitutions. (d) The Gambia (features, merits and demerits) – The 1947, 1951, 1954, 1960, 1962 and 1963 Constitutions. (ii) Post-Independence Constitutions – Features (a) Nigeria – Independence Constitution, 1960 Republican Constitution 1963 The 1979 and 1989 Constitutions 1999 Constitution – Origin, features, strengths and Weaknesses. (b) Ghana – Independence Constitution, 1957 Republican Constitution 1960 2 nd Republican Constitution 1969 3 rd Republican Constitution 1979 4 th Republican Constitutions 1992. (c) Sierra Leone – Independence Constitution 1961 Republican Constitution 1971 The 1978 and 1991 Constitutions, (d) The Gambia – Independence Constitution 1965 Republican Constitution 1970. 2 nd Republican Constitution 1997 (e) Liberia – Independence/Republican Constitution 1947 2 nd Republican Constitution 1985 |
| 15 | DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES | – Nigeria – Sierra Leone – The Gambia – Liberia Formation, Objectives, Sources of Finance, Achievements and Failures |
| 16 | MILITARY RULE IN THE CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. | – Nigeria – Ghana; – Sierra Leone – The Gambia – Liberia Causes, effects and various military regimes. |
| 17 | FEDERAL/UNITARY SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT IN WEST AFRICA | – Nigeria – Sierra Leone – The Gambia – Liberia Origin, Factors, Structure, Features and Problems |
| 18 | FOREIGN POLICIES OF THE CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES | – Nigeria – Ghana – Sierra Leone – The Gambia – Liberia Definitions, Factors, objectives, advantages and disadvantages. |
| 19 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS | The United Nations Organizations (UNO), The Commonwealth of Nations, African Union (AU) – NEPAD, The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Origin, aims/objectives, achievements and problems. |
WAEC Government Recommended Textbooks 2025/2026
- ADU BOAHEN, Ghana Evolution and Change in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
- SHILLINGTON K. Ghana and the Rawlings Factor.
- A HODGKIN T. African Political Parties.
- GARBRAH H. K Foreign Policies of Major Countries, Subject Publications, New Delhi.
- ADDAE P. G. Senior Secondary School Government Bks. 1&2.
- NOFIU S. O. A. A – ONE in Government.
- ECHIEFU S. M Modern Government.
- APPADORAI A. The Substance of Politics.
- PRICE J. H. Political Institutions in West Africa
- LEEDS C. A. Political Studies.
- AMOA G. Y. Groundwork of Government in West Africa.
- DARE AND OYEWOLE A Textbook of Government for Senior Secondary School.
- OYEDIRAN AND CO. Government for Senior Secondary School.
- FRANCIS ADIGWE Essentials of Government.
- DENNIS AUSTIN Politics in Ghana 1946-1960.
Conclusion
To prepare for the upcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), do you need the most recent syllabus? If so, you’ve found what you were looking for.
You’ve learned almost everything you need to know about the subjects you registered for from these syllabi, which also serve as your guide to answering WAEC questions. They are meticulous, precise, and well-structured. They serve as a channel of communication between test-takers and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Every year, we also learned the causes of subpar performance on the WAEC exams. Our findings helped us to realize that students’ poor performance on the WASSCE is caused by their ignorance of common pitfalls, insufficient syllabus coverage, and unfamiliarity with the
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