10 Importance of Civic Education in Nigeria

importance of civic education in nigeria

Importance of civic education in Nigeria – A country that fails to educate its population about its laws, culture, traditions, and values is doomed to fail and would have to deal with numerous social, political, and economic issues.

Civic Education in National Development

No matter how many natural and human resources Nigeria has, I have to admit that we have failed to make substantial progress over the years, even though we are blessed.

Suppose we don’t take a hard look at our current situation. In that case, we may not be able to appropriately judge where we are as values in Nigeria’s lead generation have been steadily declining over the previous few years.

Several virtues have been ignored while societal vices such as terrorism, cybercrime, crime, fraud, and luxury have been elevated to importance.

The necessity to return to the drawing board and bridge the knowledge gap, specifically the importance of civic education in Nigeria, is now vital.

As a Nigerian citizen, you have a responsibility to learn about the importance of civic education and how it might affect your life, regardless of your age or social level.

The History of Civic Education

Confucius and Plato created the oldest civics theories in ancient China and Greece. China was the first country to develop legalism, where it thrived for centuries.

As a meritocracy, this system emphasized the practical union of an autocrat’s authority and wealth with the state or population of the country. The idea behind the term was to portray a sense of respect and decency.

importance of civic education in nigeria

Although this has expanded to encompass notions such as citizen’s rights, fairness, and ethical behavior in public life, most of the Western legal heritage has resulted in the restoration of old laws, such as the Chinese Constitution, translated by Lin Zexu in 1839 and continues today.

Civic Education as a Concept

Many people believe that civic education is essential for the advancement of a country. Educating people about their rights, responsibilities, and duties to the country is an integral part of this effort.

To advance our country, we must also teach our children the rules, standards, norms, and values that make us proud to be Nigerian citizens. The transmission of knowledge is also part of education. Since the dawn of time, civic education has been around.

Civic education was taught informally in numerous communities before formal schooling was introduced in Nigeria. It was a separate topic in secondary schools and colleges, and it was included in the primary school curriculum when Nigeria gained independence.

The name “civics” has evolved throughout time, from “general knowledge” to “social studies,” “civic education,” and “religious and national values,” among other things.

Importance of Civic Education In Nigeria

The importance of civic education in Nigeria cannot be overstated; here are some of them.

1. Inform citizens of the Human Rights

Civic Education has dramatically helped students to know the fundamental human rights they can exercise, such as the freedom of movement right to vote and be voted for. It informs learners of the limitations behind their rights.

However, Civic education creates awareness in learners about the Universal declaration of human rights, a historical document that entails all the rights a Nigerian citizen is supposed to enjoy, which has positively impacted the nation’s development.

2. Influences Utter change in the world

All of our country’s political parties use a familiar rallying cry based on various ideas for improving our society. However, the actual issue is not leadership but rather the value each citizen contributes to the country.

Has your mind ever wandered to living in a place that is entirely free of vices and terrible events? Such a country is free of marginalization, disorder, and instability.

Civic education aims to create a society in which every citizen understands their role in contributing to the country’s progress.

Instilling the virtues of leadership and accountability in the lives of all citizens, regardless of class or age, is a worthwhile endeavor. Individual and communal acts of compassion have the power to transform our nation.

3. Peace and Justice

In civic education, we learn to treat one another as brothers and equals in the eyes of the law and to respect one another’s religious beliefs. A sobering legacy of the nation’s past can be seen in the persistence of ethnic and religious supremacy in today’s culture.

importance of civic education in nigeria

To attain peace and justice, citizens must be taught civic virtues such as tolerance and acceptance of others regardless of their ethnicity, religious affiliation, or language preference.

4. Youth Empowerment

When you talk of civic education, you need to speak about youth empowerment as it helps young citizens to know that they can become more relevant in society and inform them of how they can improve their well-being and affairs.

Civic education through youth empowerment helps to curb unemployment, crimes and poverty in society and allows the youth to live a life worthy of emulation with skill development.

youth empowerment

Being a better leader of tomorrow comes through youth empowerment, which helps to reform the younger citizens in terms of capacity, confidence and leadership. This is one of the reasons why civic education is essential across the nation, especially in Nigeria.

5. Sense of National Pride

When we learn about our country’s history and culture, we feel a strong sense of loyalty. People who follow the law, promote good morals, and avoid vices are all excellent examples of citizens who are good citizens.

In addition, we have created a close link since we all have a common aim of improving our country rather than indulging in dishonest actions that obstruct national progress.

6. Eradicates Political Apathy

Civic education encourages and informs citizens on the importance of voting in the election, such as voting out bad leaders and exercising your rights as a country citizen. In Nigeria, citizens are eligible to participate in the voting exercise at 18, which may vary in other countries.

In the Nigerian 2019 Presidential election, INEC recorded that only 34.75% of the registered voters participated in the voting exercise, which is substantial evidence of political apathy in Nigeria. Every learner must know why they should engage in the voting exercise.

7. International Recognition

I’m concerned about how our country is being viewed abroad due to the current spate of unpleasant events.

We witness a variety of emotions from foreigners when we meet them. Because of all of the awful news that has been presented, we can’t say that we can blame them.

It is difficult for us to maintain contact with the rest of the world. Through civic education, overcoming these difficulties is possible, which teaches us how to deal with social vices and inculcate good ideas into our daily lives.

Several factors contribute to a nation’s worldwide standing: a shift in opinions regarding its government and the economy and a willingness to accept and respect the beliefs of those around us.

8. Improve Inter and Intra-Personal Skills

Enhancing how you relate with people and the abilities and discipline you must engage with, such as self-discipline, confidence, and tolerance, mostly comes from civic education. It is essential to exercise how you speak and communicate with others people.

Civic education teaches us the best way to solve problems, have self-discipline, and handle conflict either by dialogue, meditation and others, which is crucial in the lives of the citizens and boosting their tenacity in becoming pertinent to the society and the country at large.

9. Long-term Development

Long-term development can be described as social fairness, ecological sustainability; good governance; and economic productivity. In civic education, the curriculum addresses these goals.

ICTs skills and conflict resolution tactics are vital as we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution era and look to the future of health, social, economic, political, and environmental challenges.

To keep our country and the world growing, we need people who can see the dangers we face today and in the future and come up with answers.

10. Awareness of Citizen’s Duties and Responsibility

To build a nation where everyone will live safely, every citizen must know what they are obliged to do in the nation, such as paying taxes, voting during an election, defending the country and many others.

One of the importance of civic education is to educate citizens about their duties and responsibilities for the betterment of the country.

Conclusion

People’s beliefs and values are not magical powers that can transform a nation overnight; instead, they are the foundation of a slow and continual process of national growth.

Only by allowing ourselves to be receptive to the richness of information that civic education holds will we be able to secure our nation’s future.

Transformation, equality, and the growth of meaningful citizenship are all achievable in Nigeria. We may also attain international recognition and the democratic society that we have always envisioned for ourselves.

All of us have a stake in the future of our country, so we can’t just blame our leaders for anything that goes wrong. The moment has come to think about how you can be a decent citizen in Nigeria, whether seven or seventy years old.

Believe me when I say that we will reap enormous rewards if we get back to our studies, civic education, and paying our taxes.

I hope you enjoyed the importance of civic education in Nigeria, don’t hesitate to use the comments box below to ask questions, and feel free to contact us.

About Abayomi

Abayomi is an education student and a certified content and prolific writer in Nigeria who is concerned with serving scholars across all nations with in-depth research and quality content.

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