PROMOTING GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION

Abstract

Education is one of the greatest instruments for effective nation building because it is an inevitable tool for overall human and national development. Despite this potent claim, the girl-child is still lagging behind in terms of formal education in Nigeria. This paper examined the promotion of girl-child education for national development and its implications for Social Studies Education in Nigeria. The issue of girl-child education is gaining more attention of stakeholders in education sector in Nigeria due to marginalisation and inequality the women folks are facing as regards formal education. Girl-child education is limited in Nigeria by many factors such as: child labour, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, girl-child trafficking, culture of male gender preference, sexual violence and abuse etc. Education is however the right of every child including girlchild. This is because girl-child education is a key to transforming her life and making her responsible member of her nation. To enjoy a sustainable national development in Nigeria, girl-child education is sacrosanct because educated women are great assets to any nation, thus contributing their quota towards nation building and national development. Girl-child education is therefore a great motivator of national development. Social Studies in essence has the potency to achieving the goals of girl-child education in Nigeria. For this to be manifested, greater attention should be given to girl-child education by all the stakeholders in the education sector. Girl-child should also be well trained and educated because of her overwhelming relevance to national development, and that Social Studies as a school subject through its curriculum should employ relevant strategies and methods to internalize the rudiments and importance of girl-child education to national development in Nigeria.