Investing in Human Resources as a Platform for National Security in Nigeria: The Role of Social Studies Education

Abstract

Nigeria’s political elites have toyed with the pathway to Nigeria’s national security, and therefore, placed Nigeria and her people on a perpetual developmental backwardness. Sadly, Nigeria, the supposed giant of Africa has been weighed down by the challenge of corruption, as well as insecurity. The deficiency in human capital development in Nigeria today is exerting untold pressure on her national development plans, policies and programmes. The development of human resources is indispensable for the developmental strive of any continent or nation. Hence, the inability of the Nigerian state to fully actualize her human capital development drive calls for concern. The aim of this article, therefore, is to investigate into the indispensability of investing human capital development in fostering national security in Nigeria. Social studies education is an instrument for renewal of some societal practices that constitute obstacles to national security and development. Consequently, this paper will examine the place of social studies education in the context of Nigeria for national security. The roles social studies education could play in producing good citizens, who could assist in no small measure in tackling this complex problem of national insecurity in Nigeria were discussed. In conclusion, the paper has logically established the fact that, there is significant correlation between social studies education and human capital development. Finally, workable recommendations are given, among them is that government should lay more emphasis on the teaching of social studies at all levels of its educational system to foster moral development in