Importance of Citizenship Education in Nigeria.
Citizenship Education is a course which involves educating the citizens of a country, for them to know their rights, responsibility and privileges as a member of a particular country.
It focuses on teaching every member of a country what they should know and do in order to ensure an adequate development of a country.
It is the learning process which creates a ripple effect on the belief system, strength and weakness, human right and responsibilities of every member of the country.
For the adequate growth and development of a country or state, every member of the country must be intimated on what is expected of him or her at different points in time.
Importance of Citizenship Education in Nigeria
The knowledge of this cannot be possible as long as there is deficiency in the education of the citizens. Aside from telling people their rights and privileges, citizenship education has other importance hence this article. Read on!
1. It helps to ensure civic participation in all the affairs of the government. People naturally do what they know, what they don’t, they leave for their imaginations to do.
When citizenship education is taught to an individual within a country, the masses will deliberately and intentionally participate in the affairs that concerns the country’s well being.
2. It helps citizens of the country know how their actions and inaction’s affects the country. When a person understands his place as a citizen in a country, such a person will understand how all or most of his actions and inaction’s affects the gross interest of the nation.
3. It helps to promote participation in the political process of a country. When a citizen is enlightened, he or she will then realize the importance of voting during elections and why he should by for a position he or she feel that he is qualified for.
Inadequate citizenship education, being a common cause for political apathy can be crushed and defeated when people are taught their civic rights and responsibilities.
4. It strengthens a country. Citizenship education makes people feel valued, loved and cared for. When a person knows the laws that favours him or her such as the fundamental human rights, they become free and loved as a citizen of a country and this on its own fosters rapid development as citizens will no longer vandalize government projects or cause havoc in the country.
5. It brings Peace: A very important ingredient in a country is peace and that cannot be derived when the citizens of country do not know where they stand and it is a common knowledge that when you don’t know where you stand, you will fall for any idea, concept, person, thing or circumstance.
Citizenship Education hence brings about peace and tranquility amongst members of the country at different levels.
6. It promotes unity in diversity: A country as large as Nigeria with diverse tongues and tradition cannot achieve its goal of being ‘great and when the members of the community are bereft of adequate education on their citizenship.
As a part of citizenship education, the courses helps people understand that though we are different tribes and tongue, we can stand united against foreign and domestic enemies.
See also: Steps to Join the Nigerian institute of Management
Conclusion
The advantages of citizenship education cannot be overestimated as a every person in a country irrespective of their age, gender, or social status has to know everything about the country where he or she belongs to, how he or she can help the country get better and how the country will foster his or her emotional, financial, psychological, intellectual and social dreams.