# Nigeria's Constitutional History

> Nigeria has had four constitutions since 1960: the Westminster-style independence constitution of 1960, the 1963 Republican Constitution that removed the British monarch as head of state, the US-style presidential 1979 Constitution of the Second Republic, and the 1999 Constitution now in force. Military coups ended the first three; only the 1999 constitutional order has survived to become Nigeria's longest-running.

**Category:** Law & Justice · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/nigeria-constitutional-history

## Key facts
- **1960 Constitution:** Independence Order in Council, effective 1 October 1960; Westminster parliamentary system
- **1963 Constitution:** Republican Constitution, effective 1 October 1963; Nnamdi Azikiwe first President
- **First Republic's end:** Coups of 15 January and 29 July 1966; civil war 1967–1970
- **1979 Constitution:** Effective 1 October 1979; drafted by a 49-member Constitution Drafting Committee; introduced a US-style presidential system
- **Second Republic's end:** Military coup of 31 December 1983
- **1999 Constitution:** Promulgated 5 May 1999 (Decree No. 24); effective 29 May 1999; opened the Fourth Republic

## Sources
- Nigeria — Political history (independence, republics, coups, civil war, transitions) — Encyclopedia.com (https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/africa/nigeria-political-geography/nigeria)
- Constitution of Nigeria (2011 consolidation), Section 6 — Constitute Project (Comparative Constitutions Project) (https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Nigeria_2011)
- 1999 Constitution lifted from civilian draft, not military — Abdulsalami — Punch Nigeria (https://punchng.com/1999-constitution-lifted-from-civilian-draft-not-military-abdulsalami/)
- The Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (Consolidated with 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Alteration Acts) — LawNigeria (https://lawnigeria.com/2024/01/24/the-constitution-of-nigeria-1999-with-1st-2nd-3rd-4th-and-5th-alteration-acts/)

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