This comprehensive syllabus will serve as a guide in preparing for your BECE History exam. History is a new subject that has been added to the Basic Education Curriculum because of its significance to society. The goal of teaching this subject is to provide students with a body of information that will help them understand history as a tool for forging national identity and nationalism.
This exam evaluates students’ understanding of history as a tool for national integration, globalisation challenges, patriotism, unity, and understanding similarities and differences among Nigerian people. It also encourages positive attitudes towards patriotism and national unity.
The BECE History exam consists of two Papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. There will be sixty multiple-choice questions in each paper. Both exams are required and will run for one hour each. One mark will be awarded for each of the one hundred and twenty (120) questions, which will cover 70% to include 30% from the school’s submitted Continuous Assessment (CA). There will be a grand total of 100%.
Below is the Breakdown of what each of these papers contains:
Paper 1
Paper 1 is a 60 multiple choice questions that covers questions on the following topics;Concept of History(20 questions), Geography and Environment(20 questions),
And Geographical Environment (20 questions), making it a sum total of 60 questions.
Paper 2
Paper 2 is a 60 questions multiple choice question that covers questions on the following topics: Political Development in Nigeria(40 questions) and External Contact and Trade(20 questions). Making it a total of 60 questions.
| BASIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (BECE) HISTORY SYLLABUS | |||
| S/N | THEME | TOPIC | OBJECTIVES |
1 | MEANING OF HISTORY | I. Meaning of History. | a. Meaning or Ilistory b. Differenees between History and storyelling e.g History is timebased and factual. |
| II. Sources of History. | a. Meaning of sources of History. b. Primary sources of History; i. Oral traditions ii. Artifacts iii. Legends iv. Folklores v. Archival materials etc. c. Secondary Sources of History; i.Text books ii. Journals, articles etc. iii. Government publications iv. Biographies v. Autobiographies etc. d. Tertiary sources of History: i. Students’ projects ii. Bulletins iii. Memoranda (Memos) etc. e. How to access sources of History; i: Excursion to Historical sites ii. Exhibitions iii. Libraries iv. Cultural festivals v. Museums etc. | ||
| III. Importance of History. | Importance of History to the; i. Individuals ii. Society iii. Nation | ||
2 | GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT | Historical Sites in Nigeria: 1. Nok | a. Location of Nok on the map of Nigeria. b. The Nok cultures: i. Meaning ii. Artifacts iii. The people iv. Occupational activities etc. c. Significance of Nok culture in Nigerian history |
| ii. Ile-lfe | a. Location of Ile-Ife on the map of Nigeria. b. The Ife culture and tradition: i. The place of Ife in Yoruba history ii. Ife figures/artifacts iii. The people iv. Occupational activities etc. c. Significance of Ife culture in Nigerian history | ||
| III. Benin | a. Location of Benin on the map of Nigeria. b. The Edo (Benin) culture and history. i. Artifacts ii. The people iii. Occupational activities etc. c. Significance of Edo (Benin) culture in Nigerian history | ||
| Igbo-Ukwu | a. Location of Igbo-Ukwu on the map of Nigeria. b. The Igbo-Ukuu culture: i. Meaning ii. Artifacts iii. The people iv. Occupational activities etc. c. Significance of Igbo- Ukwu culture in Nigerian history | ||
3 | POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN NIGERIA | I. Major Centralized States in Pre-Colonial Nigeria. | a. Meaning of centralized states. b. Characteristics of centralized states. c. Example of centralized states in pre-colonial Nigeria: i. Hausa States ii. Kanem Borno iii. Nupe Kingdom iv. Oyo Empire v. Igala Kingdom vi. Benin Empire vii. Niger Delta City States viii. Calabar. |
| II. Non. centralized States in Pre-Colonial Nigeria. | a. Meaning of non-centralized states. b. Characteristics of noncentralized states. c. Examples of non-centralized states in pre-colonial Nigeria: i. Tiv ii. Idoma iii. Ebira iv. Igbo v. Urhobo vi. Ijo (Ijaw) vii. Ibibio viii. Anang ix. Oro (Oron). | ||
| III. Interrelationships of some Centres of Civilization in Pre-colonial Nigeria. | Relationships between people from different centres of civilization in pre-colonial Nigeria: i. Ife/Benin ii. Kanuri Born of Hausa States iii. Igbo/Niger Delta City States etc. b. Differences that existed between different centres of civilization in pre-colonial Nigeria: i. Political structure ii. Culture and customs iii. Religious beliefs etc. c. Areas of interaction among people of centres of civilization in pre-colonial Nigeria: i. Trade and commerce ii. Marriage iii. Festivals iv. Wars etc. | ||
4 | GEOGRAPHICAL ENVIRONEMNT | I. Ghana Empire. | a. Location of Ghana Empire on the map of Africa. b. Socio-political structure of Ghana Empire. c. Factors that led to the rise of Ghana Empire. d. Factors that led to the fall of Ghana Empire. |
| II. Mali Empire. | a. Location of Mali Empire on the map of Africa. b. Socio-political structure of Mali Empire. c.Factors that led to the rise of Mali Empire. d.Factors that led to the fall or Mali Empire. | ||
| III. Songhai Empire. | a.Location of Songhai Empire on the map of Africa. b.Socio-political structure of Songhai Empire c. Factors that led to the rise of Songhai Empire. d. Factors that led to the fall of Songhai Empire. | ||
5 | EXTERNAL CONTACTS AND TRADE | I. Origin and Organization of TransSaharan Trade. | a. Origin and nature of TransSaharan Trade. b. Commodities traded during Trans-Saharan Trade: i. Gold ii. Salt iii. Horses iv. Slaves v. Ostrich feathers vi. Spices etc. c. Trade routes during TransSaharan Trade: i. Bomo-Tripoli route ii. Kanem Bomo-Sudan route iii. Kano-Feuan route. d. Effects of Trans-Saharan Trade: i. Introduction of international ii. Introduction of the use of camels as a means of transportation iii. Introduction of slave trade across the Sahara iv. Introduction of Islam and Arabic language v. Encouraged Interaction between North Africa and West Afnca etc. |
| II. Early European Contacts with Nigeria. | a. Nature of early European contacts with Nigeria. b. Early Europeans that came to Nigeria: i. European Explorers ii. European traders and iii. Christian Missionaries c. Nature of Trans-Atlantic slave Trade: i. Organization ii. Impact iii. Abolition of Trans- Atlantic slave trade d. legitimate trade i.e. the trade of alm oil. | ||
6 | POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN NIGERIA | I. British Colonization of Nigerian Territories. | a. British contact with Nigeria: i. As explorers ii. As traders iii. As missionaries. b. How the British conquered Nigerian territories: i. Signing of treaties ii. Waging of wars. c. British system of colonialism: i. Direct rule ii. Indirect rule. |
| II. The Evolution of the Nigerian State. | a. The Berlin Treaty: i. Major reasons for the treaty ii. Major features of the treaty. b. The roles ofthe Royal Niger Company in Nigerian territories. c. Colonial conquest and administration of Nigerian territories. | ||
| III. The Amalgamation of Nigeria. | a. Meaning of Amalgamation. b. Reasons for the Amalgamation of Nigerian territories. c. Process of the Amalgamation of Nigerian territories. d. Key personalities and their roles in the Amalgamation of the Nigerian territories: i. Taubman Goldie. ii. Lord Lugard iii. The European missionaries. iv. Nigeria traditional rulers etc. | ||
| IV. The Independence Movement | a. Meaning of Nationalism. b. Factors that contnbuted to Nigerian Nationalism. c. The nature of Nigeria Nationalism: i. The stmggle for independence ii. People involved in the struggle for Independence d. Attainment of Independence in 1960. | ||
The grades that were used are A, B, C, P, and F. They will be listed below in order of merit.
SN | SCORE | GRADE |
1 | 70-100 | Distinction |
2 | 60-69 | Very Good |
3 | 50-59 | Credit |
4 | 40-49 | Pass |
5 | 0-39 | Fail |
Recommended Textbooks for BECE History
Nnaemeka Uwakwe Itiri, History for Junior Secondary Schools, Nigerian Defence Academy , Publishers.
