Constitutional Conferences In Nigeria
The London Constitutional Conference of 1953
The Conference took place in London from 30th July to 22nd August 1953. The Secretary of State, Oliver Lyttleton presided over the meeting which had four items on the agenda, namely:
- Shortcomings of the MacPherson constitution.
- Changes required to correct the shortcomings.
- Steps to be taken to put these changes into effect.
- The issue of self-government in 1956.
As the discussion of these issues could not be concluded at the London Conference, a follow-up conference was held in Lagos in 1954.
The Lagos Constitutional Conference of 1954 | Nigerian Politics
The Lagos Conference was held in January 1954. The Secretary of State for the Colonies also presided over the meeting thereby underlining the importance attached to the conference by the British government. The aim of the conference was to approve the recommendations made by the London Conference and to work out the modalities for implementing the decisions.
The following thorny issues which could not be resolved at the London Conference were also considered.
- Fiscal policy
- Regionalisation of the public service
- Regionalisation of the judiciary;
- The position of the Southern Cameroon.
The decisions reached at both the Lagos and London Conferences constituted the main provisions of the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954.
