JAMB Government 2021 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 15 October 2026

Ten questions from the 2021 JAMB Government paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 40 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

JAMB Government 2021 questions and answers

1. 1.

   The citizenship of a country could be acquired through_______

   1. A
      Employment and residency
   2. B
      Birth, registration, or naturalization
      Correct
   3. C
      Election and appointment
   4. D
      Marriage and settlement
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   Answer: B

   Citizenship is acquired through three main methods: birth (jus soli), registration (in some cases), or naturalization. These are the legal pathways to acquiring full citizenship status in a country.

2. 2.

   ____________was the method used by the British to facilitate the administration of Southern Nigeria.

   1. A
      Direct rule
   2. B
      Joint governance
   3. C
      Military administration
   4. D
      Indirect rule
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Indirect rule was the method used by the British to facilitate the administration of Southern Nigeria. This approach involved governing through existing local authorities rather than direct colonial administration.

3. 3.

   Which of the following is a founding member of OPEC?

   1. A
      Algeria
   2. B
      Cameroon
   3. C
      Nigeria
      Correct
   4. D
      Ghana
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   Answer: C

   Nigeria is one of the founding members of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), having joined in 1960. Nigeria's petroleum resources made it a crucial member of the organization.

4. 4.

   The Barclay's Bank and the British Petroleum Company in Nigeria were nationalized in the late1970s for transacting business with ...

   1. A
      Liberia
   2. B
      Ghana
   3. C
      South Africa (during apartheid)
      Correct
   4. D
      Sierra Leone
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   Answer: C

   Barclays Bank and British Petroleum were nationalized in the late 1970s in Nigeria as a protest against their continued transacting of business with South Africa during the apartheid regime, in solidarity with anti-apartheid movements.

5. 5.

   A common feature of government is________

   1. A
      Legitimacy
   2. B
      Stability
   3. C
      Sovereignty
      Correct
   4. D
      Monopoly on force
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   Answer: C

   A common feature of government across all systems is the exercise of sovereignty—the supreme power and authority to govern within a territory. This is fundamental to any governmental system.

6. 6.

   One argument against a multi-party system is the _______

   1. A
      Electoral competition leading to political instability
      Correct
   2. B
      Better representation of minorities
   3. C
      Increased democratic participation
   4. D
      Faster policy implementation
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   Answer: A

   A common argument against multi-party systems is that they can lead to electoral competition that creates political divisions and potential instability. This is in contrast to the stability advocates claim for one-party or two-party systems.

7. 7.

   The ....... is responsible for advising the president of Nigeria on the sovereignty and territorial Integrity of the country.

   1. A
      Chief of General Staff
   2. B
      Minister of Defence
   3. C
      Inspector-General of Police
   4. D
      National Security Adviser
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   The National Security Adviser is responsible for advising the President of Nigeria on matters of sovereignty and territorial integrity. This office coordinates national security affairs and intelligence matters.

8. 8.

   TheMurtala/Obasanjo regime in Nigeriaincreased the number of states from....

   1. A
      Thirty-six from nineteen
   2. B
      Twelve from four
      Correct
   3. C
      Nine from twelve
   4. D
      Nineteen from twelve
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B

   The Murtala/Obasanjo regime in Nigeria increased the number of states from 4 to 12 in 1967, representing a significant redivision of the federation to create a more balanced federal structure.

9. 9.

   In the First Republic, the official opposition party was the ..........

   1. A
      National Council of Nigeria
   2. B
      Action Group
      Correct
   3. C
      United Middle Belt Congress
   4. D
      Northern Peoples Congress
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   Answer: B

   In the First Republic of Nigeria, the Action Group served as the official opposition party to the ruling Northern Peoples Congress, providing political oversight and alternative governance perspectives.

10. 10.

    The highest grade in the Civil Service is known as the ............

    1. A
       Chief Executive Officer
    2. B
       Principal Assistant Secretary
    3. C
       Permanent Secretary
       Correct
    4. D
       Deputy Director
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: C

    The Permanent Secretary is the highest grade in the Nigerian Civil Service. This position represents the top of the civil service hierarchy and serves as the administrative head of a ministry.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.

Practise all 40 questions we hold from the 2021 paper, on a timed CBT screen

Every question has the answer and an explanation, in the Skolra app.

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