New Curriculum First Term Nigerian History examination for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: First Term
Subject: Nigerian History
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (40 Marks)
Instruction: Answer all questions. Each question carries 1 mark.

1. The study of Nigerian History helps pupils understand ________. (a) only events that may happen tomorrow    (b) only modern computer commands    (c) people and events from Nigeria’s past    (d) only mathematical calculations
2. Which of these is a useful source for learning about the history of a community? (a) Oral accounts from knowledgeable elders    (b) A random number list    (c) A made-up story with no source    (d) An unrelated advertisement
3. An ethnic group is often identified by a shared ________. (a) type of electronic device    (b) language and cultural heritage    (c) school timetable    (d) favourite classroom subject
4. Which pair identifies two Nigerian ethnic groups? (a) Abuja and Kaduna    (b) Niger and Benue    (c) Lagos and Kano    (d) Hausa and Igbo
5. The Yorùbá are one of the peoples historically associated with ________. (a) only the Lake Chad basin    (b) southwestern Nigeria    (c) only northeastern Nigeria    (d) only the Niger Delta
6. Which Nigerian people are historically associated with southeastern Nigeria? (a) Tiv    (b) Kanuri    (c) Igbo    (d) Nupe
7. A person’s language may help identify ________. (a) their cultural group or community    (b) their favourite subject    (c) their exact income    (d) their examination score
8. Which of these is a cultural feature that may differ among Nigerian peoples? (a) The number of days in a week    (b) The need for clean water    (c) The use of daylight    (d) Traditional dress and greetings
9. Why should pupils learn about Nigeria’s many peoples? (a) To avoid friendships across communities    (b) To appreciate diversity and shared citizenship    (c) To show that one group has no history    (d) To encourage tribal conflict
10. Which behaviour promotes respect among different ethnic groups? (a) Rejecting all unfamiliar foods    (b) Mocking another language    (c) Learning how to pronounce people’s names correctly    (d) Spreading ethnic stereotypes
11. A state is a recognised ________ within Nigeria. (a) administrative unit    (b) individual village household    (c) private club    (d) single family
12. A local government area is a unit of ________. (a) school examination only    (b) religious worship only    (c) international trade only    (d) local administration
13. Which pair names two Nigerian states? (a) Enugu and Kano    (b) Kano and Accra    (c) Lagos and Benin Republic    (d) Abuja and Ghana
14. Which activity helps locate the home areas of Nigerian peoples? (a) Studying a list of football scores    (b) Reading a political map of Nigeria    (c) Watching an unrelated film    (d) Counting the pages in a notebook
15. Tolerance means ________. (a) respecting differences while living peacefully    (b) insisting everyone speaks one language    (c) refusing to learn other customs    (d) agreeing with all harmful actions
16. Sharing stories about different communities can help children ________. (a) create unnecessary suspicion    (b) avoid working together    (c) understand different cultures    (d) erase all local histories
17. Colonial rule refers to ________. (a) an election in an independent country    (b) a family’s household rules    (c) a village festival    (d) administration by an outside power over a territory
18. A colonial administrative headquarters was the place where ________. (a) all farms were managed    (b) colonial authorities directed government work    (c) every local market was located    (d) every school exam was printed
19. Under British colonial administration, a headquarters served mainly as a centre for ________. (a) traditional dance only    (b) farming competitions only    (c) official administration    (d) local sporting events only
20. Studying former headquarters helps learners understand ________. (a) how to create email passwords    (b) how colonial administration was organised    (c) how to calculate fractions    (d) how a plant changes into fruit
21. A historian interviewing an elder about past community events is using ________. (a) a shopping receipt    (b) a present-day weather forecast    (c) a class timetable    (d) oral history
22. Which object might help tell the history of a Nigerian community? (a) An unrelated advertisement    (b) An old traditional tool    (c) A newly printed blank notebook    (d) An empty modern plastic wrapper
23. Different Nigerian ethnic groups may have distinct ________. (a) languages and customs    (b) weather on a particular day    (c) sizes of exercise books    (d) school hours only
24. Which people are mainly associated with northern Nigeria? (a) Ijaw    (b) Igbo    (c) Hausa    (d) Itsekiri
25. Which people are strongly associated with southwestern Nigeria? (a) Tiv    (b) Ibibio    (c) Kanuri    (d) Yorùbá
26. Which pair contains two Nigerian ethnic groups? (a) Hausa and Igbo    (b) Abuja and Enugu    (c) Lagos and Kano cities    (d) Niger and Benue
27. Why is it important to learn local oral traditions? (a) They replace all written sources    (b) They show tomorrow’s weather    (c) They preserve accounts of a community’s past    (d) They provide modern prices
28. A traditional festival can help people learn about a community’s ________. (a) computer speed    (b) electricity bill    (c) school examination number    (d) cultural heritage
29. Which action shows respect for different Nigerian peoples? (a) Learning their correct names and customs    (b) Destroying cultural objects    (c) Mocking their language    (d) Refusing to listen to their history
30. A child speaking both Igbo and Hausa is demonstrating ________. (a) knowledge of every historical date    (b) membership of two states automatically    (c) ability to communicate across languages    (d) authority over local government
31. Which of these is a Nigerian state? (a) Anambra    (b) Aba    (c) Onitsha    (d) Lokoja
32. A local government area forms part of a ________. (a) federal capital only    (b) foreign country    (c) continent    (d) state
33. What does a political map of Nigeria mainly show? (a) Only river depths    (b) State boundaries and locations    (c) Only soil colours    (d) Only rainfall amounts
34. Which source might give the location of a Nigerian town? (a) A school report form    (b) A medical prescription    (c) A recipe card    (d) A labelled map
35. Why are community histories sometimes different? (a) All festivals began on one day    (b) All peoples lived in one town    (c) Communities have distinct experiences and traditions    (d) Every story is identical
36. A pupil who collects family stories about past events is carrying out ________. (a) a banking transaction    (b) a simple historical investigation    (c) an electoral count    (d) a scientific evaporation test
37. Colonial administration in Nigeria was controlled by ________. (a) a national sports association    (b) a market traders’ group    (c) only local school clubs    (d) an external colonial power
38. What was commonly done at a colonial administrative centre? (a) Only cooking competitions    (b) Government decisions and record keeping    (c) Only school sports    (d) Only private religious ceremonies
39. Historical sources should be compared because ________. (a) old objects cannot provide information    (b) dates never matter    (c) accounts can differ or be incomplete    (d) all sources are always identical
40. Studying Nigerian peoples can strengthen ________. (a) respect and national understanding    (b) disagreement without discussion    (c) ethnic prejudice    (d) social isolation

SECTION B: THEORY / PRACTICAL (30 Marks)
Instruction: Answer Question 1 and any other TWO questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. Studying peoples
(a) State one reason for studying Nigerian History. (2 marks)
(b) Name four Nigerian ethnic groups studied. (4 marks)
(c) Explain two ways language and traditions help identify peoples. (4 marks)

2. Locations and communities
(a) What is a local government area? (2 marks)
(b) Name two Nigerian states and give one town associated with each. (4 marks)
(c) Explain two ways a map helps in locating Nigerian peoples. (4 marks)

3. Respect and tolerance
(a) Define tolerance. (2 marks)
(b) State two ways pupils can respect people of different ethnic groups. (4 marks)
(c) Explain two benefits of peaceful relationships between Nigerian communities. (4 marks)

4. Colonial administration
(a) Define a colonial administrative headquarters. (2 marks)
(b) Describe two functions carried out from a colonial headquarters. (4 marks)
(c) Explain why learning about former administrative centres is important in Nigerian History. (4 marks)

Objective Marking Scheme
Question 1 – ✅ (c) people and events from Nigeria’s past
Question 2 – ✅ (a) Oral accounts from knowledgeable elders
Question 3 – ✅ (b) language and cultural heritage
Question 4 – ✅ (d) Hausa and Igbo
Question 5 – ✅ (b) southwestern Nigeria
Question 6 – ✅ (c) Igbo
Question 7 – ✅ (a) their cultural group or community
Question 8 – ✅ (d) Traditional dress and greetings
Question 9 – ✅ (b) To appreciate diversity and shared citizenship
Question 10 – ✅ (c) Learning how to pronounce people’s names correctly
Question 11 – ✅ (a) administrative unit
Question 12 – ✅ (d) local administration
Question 13 – ✅ (a) Enugu and Kano
Question 14 – ✅ (b) Reading a political map of Nigeria
Question 15 – ✅ (a) respecting differences while living peacefully
Question 16 – ✅ (c) understand different cultures
Question 17 – ✅ (d) administration by an outside power over a territory
Question 18 – ✅ (b) colonial authorities directed government work
Question 19 – ✅ (c) official administration
Question 20 – ✅ (b) how colonial administration was organised
Question 21 – ✅ (d) oral history
Question 22 – ✅ (b) An old traditional tool
Question 23 – ✅ (a) languages and customs
Question 24 – ✅ (c) Hausa
Question 25 – ✅ (d) Yorùbá
Question 26 – ✅ (a) Hausa and Igbo
Question 27 – ✅ (c) They preserve accounts of a community’s past
Question 28 – ✅ (d) cultural heritage
Question 29 – ✅ (a) Learning their correct names and customs
Question 30 – ✅ (c) ability to communicate across languages
Question 31 – ✅ (a) Anambra
Question 32 – ✅ (d) state
Question 33 – ✅ (b) State boundaries and locations
Question 34 – ✅ (d) A labelled map
Question 35 – ✅ (c) Communities have distinct experiences and traditions
Question 36 – ✅ (b) a simple historical investigation
Question 37 – ✅ (d) an external colonial power
Question 38 – ✅ (b) Government decisions and record keeping
Question 39 – ✅ (c) accounts can differ or be incomplete
Question 40 – ✅ (a) respect and national understanding

Theory Marking Scheme
Question 1:
(a) Understand people, places and past events. (2 marks)
(b) Hausa, Igbo, Yorùbá, Kanuri, Tiv or other valid groups. (4 marks)
(c) Language, traditions and heritage support group identity. (4 marks)

Question 2:
(a) An area with local administrative authority. (2 marks)
(b) Correct Nigerian states and corresponding towns: e.g. Enugu/Enugu, Kano/Kano. (4 marks)
(c) Maps show location, boundaries and distances. (4 marks)

Question 3:
(a) Respecting differences and peaceful coexistence. (2 marks)
(b) Use respectful greetings and avoid stereotypes or insults. (4 marks)
(c) Supports peaceful relationships and national unity. (4 marks)

Question 4:
(a) Centre from which colonial officials administered a territory. (2 marks)
(b) Coordinating government and communication or records. (4 marks)
(c) Explains colonial political history and administrative change. (4 marks)

Mark correct equivalent answers, explanations and labelled work within the taught syllabus.