NATIONAL IDENTITY CRISIS, CORRUPTION, AND THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN REBUILDING PATRIOTIC CONSCIOUSNESS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria still struggles to develop after many democratic transitions and anti-corruption campaigns because of its pervasive corruption. Most studies have analyzed corruption through the legal, political, and economic lenses. Research on corruption and Nigeria's persistent national identity crisis has been largely ignored. This paper explores the connections between the crisis of national identity, corruption, and the function of education in the restoration of patriotic consciousness in Nigeria. Using the Social Identity Theory of Tajfel and Turner (1979), this paper asserts that corruption is the product of weak institutions and fragmented loyalties, a fractured society, and a plummeting confidence in the institutions of the state. The paper employs a qualitative method through the analysis of literature, policy, and history in relation to the Nigerian project of nation building and civic education. It argues that the persistent religious, ethnic, and regional divisions of Nigeria have eroded the citizens' feelings of belonging to the Nigerian state, and have resulted in a society where corruption is regarded as a normal practice. The paper argues that patriotic education is the best way to rebuild patriotic consciousness and strengthen national identity in order to reduce corruption, rebuild public trust and promote sustainable national development in Nigeria.