MOBILIZING NIGERIANS TOWARDS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL STUDIES AND CIVIC EDUCATION

The low level of political consciousness of the people was a major obstacle to their effective participation in the affairs of the country. It also provided good grounds for manipulation of the political process by politicians and the various segments of the elite in the society, who exploited the mass ignorance of the people to perpetrate all forms of political and economic frauds. This situation created a culture of helplessness, apathy, indifference about the happenings in the political arena in the country. Masses have been deliberately misinformed or even kept in the dark about crucial issues affecting their lives and basic rights. Most of them participated in elections and other programmes simply because they were asked to, not because they understood clearly the issues involved. They were drawn into many acrimonious disputes by politicians and made to participate in various electoral malpractices, thuggery and other vices. In the process, many of them lost their lives while the politicians engaged in massive and flagrant looting of the national treasury. This paper dwells on the influence of social studies and civic education in mobilizing citizens towards global citizenship and the problems hindering this mobilization.