The Lyttleton Constitution was introduced in:

Answer Details

Nigeria's constitutional development under British colonial rule progressed through a series of constitutions, each named after the colonial official who introduced it. The Lyttleton Constitution was introduced in 1954 by Oliver Lyttleton, who served as the British Secretary of State for the Colonies.

The Lyttleton Constitution was significant because it established a federal system of government for Nigeria. Under this constitution, Nigeria was divided into three regions - the Northern, Western, and Eastern Regions - each with its own legislature and executive council headed by a Premier. The federal centre also had its own council of ministers. This was the first time Nigeria formally adopted federalism as its governing structure, replacing the unitary arrangements of earlier constitutions.

The other dates correspond to different milestones: 1951 was the year of the Macpherson Constitution, 1957 saw constitutional conferences that preceded independence, and 1960 was the year Nigeria gained independence. None of these dates match the introduction of the Lyttleton Constitution.

Exam tip: Remember the sequence of Nigerian colonial constitutions by their architects and dates: Clifford (1922), Richards (1946), Macpherson (1951), Lyttleton (1954), and the Independence Constitution (1960).