The first Nigerian constitution to provide for the Fundamental objectives and directive principles of the state policy was the _________

Analyze the question: It asks which was the first Nigerian constitution to include the "Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy" (FODPSP), the chapter that sets out the broad social, economic, political and educational goals of government.

Explain the concept: Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy are guidelines for governments at all levels. They cover things like:

• Social justice and equality of opportunity
• Free education and healthcare
• National integration
• Economic development

They are found in Chapter II of the current Constitution. They are mostly non-justiciable, which means the courts cannot enforce them directly (see Section 6(6)(c)).

Step-by-step solution:

1. 1960 Independence Constitution: It focused on the structure of government and fundamental human rights. It had no directive principles chapter.
2. 1963 Republican Constitution: This was similar to the 1960 one, with no directive principles.
3. 1979 Constitution: This was the first to introduce the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) under Chief F.R.A. Williams drew the idea from the Irish Constitution and the Indian Constitution. It was the Constitution that introduced the presidential system in Nigeria.
4. 1989 Constitution: This was prepared for the Third Republic but never came into operation, and it was not the first to include FODPSP.
5. 1999 Constitution: It retained the FODPSP, but it came after the 1979 Constitution, so it was not the first.

Answer: B. 1979 Constitution

Exam tip: Remember "1979 = Firsts": the first presidential system, and the first to include FODPSP, borrowed from Ireland and India. If JAMB asks about the "first" of anything in the constitutional chapters on policy, think 1979.