# The Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended)

> The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was promulgated by military decree on 5 May 1999 and took effect on 29 May 1999, restoring civilian rule. Drawing heavily on the 1979 Constitution, it establishes a federal, presidential system across 320 sections and seven schedules, and has since been amended through five rounds of Alteration Acts, most recently the seventeen Fifth Alteration Acts assented to in 2023.

**Category:** Politics & Government · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/nigerian-constitution

## Key facts
- **Enacted by:** Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) Decree No. 24 of 1999
- **Promulgated:** 5 May 1999
- **Came into force:** 29 May 1999
- **Structure:** 8 chapters, 320 sections, 7 schedules
- **Amendment procedure:** Section 9 — two-thirds of each National Assembly House plus two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly (four-fifths and all states for entrenched provisions)
- **Alterations to date:** First–Fourth Alterations (2010–2017); Fifth Alteration, 17 separate Acts assented to in 2023
- **As of:** 23 July 2026

## Sources
- 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/)
- Section 9 of the Nigerian Constitution: Mode of Altering Provisions of the Constitution — Nigerian Lawyers Directory (https://nigerianlawyersdirectory.com/nigerianconstitution/section-9-of-the-nigerian-constitution-mode-of-altering-provisions-of-the-constitution/)
- A New Constitutional Moment? Nigeria's Legislature Revives Reform Ambitions in Sweeping Amendment Package — ConstitutionNet (International IDEA) (https://constitutionnet.org/news/voices/new-constitutional-moment-nigerias-legislature-revives-reform-ambitions-sweeping-amendment)
- The fifth alteration to the Nigerian constitution: anticipated impact on the Nigerian electricity sector — Lexology (https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fb316d73-9a37-48a9-af0a-2f4681639547)
- Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 — Updated with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Alteration — Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) (https://placng.org/i/documents/constitution-of-the-federal-republic-of-nigeria-1999-updated-with-the-1st-2nd-3rd-4th-and-5th-alteration/)

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