A nation that dreams greatness needs to invest in the strategic inculcation of national values. The success of such a strategic investment depends on several factors: (a) the scope of the values, (b) the source of the values, (c) the nature of the values, (d) role models and instructors, (e) institutional structures. Let us briefly investigate each of these factors.
First, by scope I mean the reach of the values deemed national. It is unavoidably tautological to suggest that national values must be national in scope. But that is the inescapable reality. A national value cannot be ethnic orsectarian. Of course, this doesn’t suggest that a value that is acceptable to one ethnic or sectarian group cannot be acceptable to some other group. What it suggests is simply that for a value to be considered worthy of the adjective “national”, it must be embraced by or considered as worthy of the embrace of others.
Second, one factor that determines the national scope of a value is the source of the value. How do members of the nation come to recognise it as a value worthy of embrace. National values cannot originate from divisive sources. Fortunately, despite the divisions of tribe and tongue in dear country, we have one non-divisive source of our values. It is the constitution which provides a copious account of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy, which for all intents and purposes is a declaration of our national values.
Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides a list of our national values, the ideals that we stand for and which government and citizens have a duty to embrace and promote. It reiterates our republicanism, which vests sovereignty in the people with the right to participate in government and the duty to discharge the responsibilities that correlate with that right. We affirm peace, progress, unity and faith as national ideals worth living for and if necessary worth dying for. We reject corrupt practices and collectively resolve to abolish them from our nation. We pledge to secure maximum welfare, freedom and happiness for every citizen on the basis of social justice. We decide that national wealth will serve the common good and not just a chosen few.
We embrace freedom, equality and justice as the foundation of our social order. In other words, no one will be rendered unfree without due process; no one will be treated like a slave or serf; and justice will prevail because these are values that our nation is built upon. They demonstrate our belief in the sanctity and dignity of the human person. As a mark of our fidelity to these values, we pledge to give every citizen the opportunity to secure adequate means of livelihood under just and humane conditions of work.
Our constitution even identifies boldly and unambiguously our national ethic which encompasses all of the above: discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance and patriotism. From south to north, from east to west, and every space in-between, these are the values that we embrace per the grundnorm that binds us as one nation indivisible. It follows that these are the values that we must seek to inculcate in young and old, officials and ordinary citizens at every opportunity in order to make our nation the pride of citizens and the envy of aliens.
Third, by their nature, these ingredients of our national values are positive roadmaps for national development and national integration, provided there is sufficient adherence to their dictates. And that is what has been lacking. The lack is in two areas. If we are to inculcate national values, there must be instructors and role models for that purpose. But genuine instructors are lacking not because there are no expert teachers of values, but because, there is more to instruction and role modelling than rote teaching and learning. A role model sets a pattern of behaviour that is emulated by the followers. Whether in policy formulation or political practice, whether in religious instruction or sectarian preaching, there is too much of “do as I say” and not enough of “do as I do.”
Fourth, there must be adequate institutional structures through the auspices of which national values are disseminated and inculcated. Prominent among the institutions that have traditionally taken up this task are schools, religious institutions, voluntary organisations, such as Boys Scout and Girls Guide, etc. In the colonial era and in the post-colonial and pre-military era, these were veritable institutions that took on the responsibility of inculcating national values with dedication and commitment. Discipline was enforced in schools and religious institutions. This translated into a productive workforce and a patriotic citizenry. We remember the teachers that made us who we are and the pastors and imams that lived penurious lives but delivered the words of truth without fear or favour. They are hardly here anymore.
It is understandable then why government officials worry about national values. The Nigerian Educational and Research Development Council (NERDC) has refocused on how schools can re-engage in inculcating national values. But how might schools disseminate national values? And how might religious institutions? There is an undeniable synergy between national values and religious values. Our major religions preach love, peace, unity, respect, hard work, etc. Therefore, churches, mosques and traditional worship spaces are well-positioned to help inculcate national values.
Public and private schools are also best suited with appropriate curriculum development in social studies, history, and civics, which focus students as citizens and future leaders on the history and value priorities of their nation.
How about subject areas like Christian Religious Studies (CRS) and Islamic Religious Studies (IRS)? Are they repositories of national values and thus agents for their inculcation? To the extent that these subjects teach positive values, they are helpful in the dissemination of national values. However, this is not their main focus. Both are to be seen as academic subjects focused on instructing students on the tenets, beliefs and history of each of the faiths. As such, there are areas of agreement and areas of conflict between them. The major prophets of these religions had differing views on the issue of faith and spirituality.
And while religion, when it is reasonably approached, can be a positive influence on national values, it is unclear what useful purpose is served by having students compulsorily explore in curriculum settings the linkage between religion and national values. Is the purpose to understand the relationship? That is not a worthy subject area for JSS or SSS. Is it to more effectively inculcate national values? That is a less effective approach. Is it to align religion and national values? That is an unnecessary effort. In the matter of teaching religion and inculcating national values, the approach that reason dictates is to keep them clear and distinct. As one of the prophets advised: give to Caesar what belongs to him, and reserve for God what is God’s.
At any rate, even if for some reason, we find it useful to deploy religious instruction in the inculcation of national values, it is counter-productive to combine two religions under one curriculum head. Just as we cannot combine the teaching and learning of history and mathematics as a subject offering, combining IRS and CRS as one single subject in the curriculum will serve more negative than positive purpose.For such combination cannot avoid inadvertently truncating one belief system or the other, something that can cause more social harm than good.
By the same token, making religious study compulsory while history is removed from the curriculum doesn’t make much sense. The latter is sorely needed for a heightened sense of national values. It affords us a common memory of our core values, where we have been, and what got us to where we are. History enables us to make useful investigation of our national, social, moral and political values. And historical knowledge is a sine qua non for informed citizenry. Therefore, for promoting national values, it makes better sense to make history, rather than religious knowledge, compulsory in our school curriculum.
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