FUNCTIONAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AND THE CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY AND NATIONAL UNITY IN NIGERIA

citizenship

Abstract

This paper examines functional citizenship education as a powerful weapon for addressing the challenges of democracy and national unity in Nigeria. Democracy and national unity are crucial aspects of achieving greatness as a nation. Citizenship education involves instilling moral values, skills, and attitudes in citizens to raise their awareness of the importance of obeying constituted authority and utilizing their abilities to tackle the challenges of democracy and national development. Functional citizenship education helps people adopt patriotic beliefs and refrain from engaging in activities such as terrorism, insurgency, religious violence/intolerance, armed robbery, kidnapping, election rigging/violence, and other issues that undermine the country's continued existence. This paper argues that functional citizenship education provides an effective means of mitigating the challenges faced by democracy and national unity. The findings of the paper reveal that ineffective citizenship education in Nigeria poses a serious threat to democracy and national unity. As a recommendation, the paper suggests the intensification of citizenship education at all levels of Nigeria's educational system. Additionally, it proposes using this educational tool to re-orientate public office holders as well as individuals at the grassroots level. By enhancing citizenship education, Nigeria can address the challenges it faces in terms of democracy and national unity.