Federalism was introduced in Nigeria under the

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which constitution first introduced federalism in Nigeria, meaning the system where power is shared between a central government and regional governments.

Step 2: Review the constitutions

• Richards Constitution (1946): Introduced regionalism by creating Northern, Western and Eastern Regional Houses of Assembly (the Northern House of Chiefs was added in the North). However, Nigeria was still governed as a unitary state, and the regional bodies were only advisory.
• Macpherson Constitution (1951): Introduced quasi-federalism. It gave the regions some legislative powers, but the central government remained dominant.
• Lyttelton Constitution (1954): This was the first to formally establish a federal system. It divided powers between the federal and regional governments, with the Federal Government, Regional Governments and a federal capital territory (Lagos) as separate entities. It also gave regions residual powers and created the Federal Supreme Court and regional high courts.
• Independence Constitution (1960): It retained and strengthened federalism, but it did not introduce it.

Step 3: Identify the answer Federalism was formally introduced under the Lyttelton Constitution of 1954, which is option A.

Exam tip: Remember the sequence with this chain:

• Richards (1946) → Regionalism
• Macpherson (1951) → Quasi-federalism
• Lyttelton (1954) → Full federalism
• Independence (1960) → Self-rule

Think "Lyttelton = Layout of the federation."