The National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has said the reintroduction and creation of four subjects in the education curriculum of Nigeria, including History, Islamic Religious Studies, Christian Religious Studies and National Values, will go a long way in tackling insecurity and other social vices among the youth.

Addressing participants in Abuja, at the opening ceremony of a five-day critique workshop on the adapted curriculum guides in four subject areas for the education of the nomadic pastoralists and migrant fisherfolk/farmers, the Executive Secretary of NCNE, Prof. Bashir H. Usman, said Nigeria was in dire need of a solution to stem the rising spate of insecurity and social vices, hence the effort of NCNE in critiquing the appropriateness of the aforementioned subjects.

He said: “The effectiveness of any programme requires continuous improvement, through update of relevant educational materials for the attainment and sustenance of standards. The review and adaptation of the above curriculum, took place in June, 2021. We are here today to critically examine the draft of the curriculum, to ensure its appropriateness and quality.

“Curriculum provides a cardinal link between education delivery and set national goals and objectives. It must therefore be characterized by relevance, appropriateness, adequacy and demands of the time, in terms of contents shaping and stimulation of the minds of learners/children of diverse background in terms of culture, ethnic, religious and social, in the spirit of peace, stability, security, development, integration and co-operation. 

“Today, as we are all aware our nation is plagued by myriads of challenges, which are impeding our journey to nationhood, national growth and development. Evidently, there is a sharp decline in the understanding of our collective sense of history, moral values, social cohesion and rich cultural heritage as a people. It is getting worse amongst the youthful population in the country, who have relapsed into all manners of social vices, ranging from conflicts, insurgency, armed robbery, kidnapping, drugs abuse, etc.

“Our country is, therefore, in dire need of a solution to stem the rising spate of this menace that is the root of our current security challenges, with all its attendant consequences. It is against this backdrop that the National Council of Education directed for the re-introduction of certain subjects needed at the basic level, such as History, Islamic Religious Studies, Christian Religious Studies and National Values comprising of Social Studies, Civic and Security Education.

“However, the process of curriculum revision continues with a view to attaining improvements each time, for the overall development of education. It is envisaged that the critique of the adapted curriculum towards effective teaching and learning of these subjects, would go a very long way in restoring in our educational system, the virtue of brotherhood and citizenship, such that the learner would have a clearunderstanding of our collective history as a people, our rich cultural heritage, hence the compelling need for peace, tolerance and accommodation.

“For us to make meaningful progress, we must instill in our youths that moral rectitude that would enable them shun this cancerous monsters that is deeply eroding the fabric of our society and the solid foundation laid by the founding fathers of our beloved nation.

“In line with the objectives of this workshop, I want to urge all of us, to recognise and see through the renaissance being ushered in, in the course of the critique process, so that we can capitalise on the common adage of ‘catch them young’ by bringing our collective knowledge and experiences in crafting the curriculum in the course of the five-day workshop for the education of nomads in Nigeria.