Date:27/04/2020
Class: SS2
Subject:Government
Topic:The London Constitutional Conference of 1953

The London Constitutional Conference of 1953
The need for a new constitution arose as a result of the defects of McPherson constitution which led to its breakdown.
The Secretary of State for the change of McPherson Constitution when he announced on May 21, 1953 on the floor of the British House of Commons That Her Majesty’s government had decided that the Nigeria Constitution would have to be redrawn so as to provide for greater regional autonomy and removal of powers of intervention by the centre. So, Nigeria leaders were invited by the secretary to London to review the Constitution. A team of 19 delegates which comprised six of the Representatives from each region and one representative from Cameroon were sent to London to discuss the following point:
1. The defects of McPherson Constitution
2. The changes required to solve these defects
3. The steps to be taken to put these changes into effect
4. The question of self government

in 1956 the following agreements were reached
1. That a Federal system of government should be used in Nigeria
2. That the Regional Lieutenant Governor should be called Governors while the Governor of Nigeria should be called Governor-General
3. That legislative power should shared between the federal state and the federating unit.
4. That Lagos should be separated from the Western Region and made a neutral federal territory
5. That Her Majesty’s Government would grant self Government to those regions which desire it in 1956.

Revision Questions
1. Itemise 4 recommendations of the 1953 London Constitutional Conference
2. Of what importance of this Conference to Nigeria’s Independence ?