Peace education and post conflict peace-building in Nigeria

Peace education is a fundamental component of peace building. With the experiences of ruptured peace and conflict recovery in some areas peace education becomes an imperative in Nigeria. All segments of the society would gain from peace education where values, moral rectitude, tolerance and method of resolving any dispute peacefully and in a spirit of respect for human dignity and non-discrimination are inculcated in the minds of the citizenry. The study adopts the Theory of Learning to Abolish War Model of Reardon, B. and Cabezudo, A. which argues that peace can be taught to children by promoting culture of peace and abolishing culture of war. The study recommends that Nigeria should make peace education a compulsory subject and course in institutions of learning across board, make workable legal and institutional framework for peace education with adequate budget backed by political will for appropriation and implementation of peace education. The study concludes that Nigeria stands to reduce incidences of conflict and violence when peace education is prioritized. ‘Since war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that defense of peace must be constructed’ - Preamble to the UNESCO Constitution.