Citizenship Education and National Integration: The Imperative of Developing the Psyche

Nations work assiduously to knit the various groups making up the nation. Nigeria had to an extent tried in this vain to ensure the integration of its diverse peoples through formal and informal education of the citizenry. Efforts had been made to educate citizens of its value systems, rights and obligations, fuse the people and bring an understanding in other to attain the national goals. Despite the effort so far made very little had been achieved, even when enormous energies and resources had been expended. Rather than the education bringing about conducive society, it has produced a society where the unusual has become necessities. For example, unusual source of wealth, evil and crimes of all shades perpetrated and contrary to the national goals, thus leaving a dysfunctional society in a nation that is abundantly endowed with both human and natural resources. The author believes that since citizenship education could not impact much positively on the people, either because it has not been stressed adequately and because of the new age and its characteristics, there is the need to expand education to the education of the psyche. The psyche is the mind which if properly trained would shape the world positively as it could help in the building and delivery of public services with truth and honesty. It is believed that with adequate training of the psyche, selfism, pride, arrogance, avarice, moral vices which delimits individuals and leaders positive behaviour would be demolished greatly and the society set free from negative tendencies. The way out is through sound moral education, less emphasis on immediate and individual gains, educating the people of its past (History), and its value systems. Consequently, we have to ensure through education the true transformation of the individual psyche for the sake of the national psyche and attainment of national goals.