Citizenship - WEEK 8

Wk 8

Topic :Citizenship
Specific objectives: By the end of the lesson the people should be able to
1.Define citizenship education
2.write out the duties of a citizen
3. Differenciate between the meaning of citizenship from citizenship Education

Meaning of citizenship Education

A citizen is a legal member of a state with full constitutional rights in the country
in which he or she resides. A citizen could also be known law as having the
legitimate right to claim the membership of a given state or country. A stranger in
a foreign land can acquire citizenship of that country either by birth, registration
or naturalization.
Citizenship
This is the status of a particular state or country which confers on thee holder
some constitutional rights and obligation/duties to perform as a citizen.
The first duty or task demanded or required of a citizen is to understand the
operations of his social environment and to endeavor to sustain a conducive

relationship with people in his environment. This can only be realized or achieved
through the instrument of education which could be formal or informal. The most
important education one is expected to acquire is how to be a citizen of a state,
since it ensures societal cohesion, maintenance of peace, orderliness and good
living.
Citizenship education therefore, is the type of education which inculcates moral
values, skills and attitudes in an individual with the desire or consciousness to use
these abilities to solve developmental challenges facing a nation.
It could be seen as the education through which students in the school system
are taught about their rights, privileges, duties and responsibilities as good
citizens and through which they are encouraged to perform their duties and play
positive and active role in the society. In effect, citizenship education is the same
as civic education .It is the totality of education program in terms of knowledge
and skills imparted to persons with the aim of making the students morally good
and effective citizens.
Citizenship education aims at making the young Nigerian become a good,
effective and responsible citizen. It educates the youth about the ways his country
is governed. He learns his civic and political rights, duties and allegiances he owes
his country. He equally learns to live and work with co operatively for the good of
society.
So many governmental agencies like National orientation agency(NOA) and Non
governmental organization (NGOs) , educational institutions, and mass media are
all involved in the process of bringing about citizenship education to the people.

Importance of citizenship education to the people.
Citizenship education is so relevant in a country’s national life that it should form
the core of our national character molding and essence of education. The
following support the need and importance of citizenship education.
1. It promotes the understanding of the interrelationship between people,
government and the society in general.
2. It highlights the structure of government, its functions and the responsibilities
of government to the people and that of the people to the government.
3. It enhances the teaching and learning of emerging issues.
4. It inculcates in student their duties and obligations to the society.
5. It is a means through which citizens are liberated from ignorance and equipped
with needed political, economic, social and administrative skills which are
necessary to facilitate and maintain national consciousness.
6. It develops in the citizen good values and patriotism and provokes in them the
resolve to become good citizens.
7. It is an important aspect of the education curriculum aimed at enlightening and
educating the youths. It helps in the individual’s intellectual development.
Citizenship education is essential for the sustenance and existence of democracy
because it teaches the citizens the basic tenets of democratic practices and
principles and fosters the zeal to participate in political process.
8. It helps to create awareness over the importance of political equality, equity
and justice among the nation.

9. It teaches the students their rights, duties and obligation they owe to
government and the nation.
10. It create awareness and understanding of what duties and obligation a
responsible government owes to the governed
11. Citizenship education encourages the youth to be patriotic and nationalistic in
word and deeds. It inculcates deliberate and genuine efforts to build an indivisible
nation.
12. It exposes and addresses the problem of good governance. Some of these
problem include: neo-colonialism, violence, ethnic hostilities, corruption, bribery,
greed, etc.
13. Citizenship education emphasizes the need to abide by the rule of law, keep a
peaceful nation and contribute meaningfully in the economic activities of the
nation.
14. It helps the citizen to develop good sense of judgment coupled with critical
and analytical mind to be able to place things appropriately.
15. With citizenship education, governance is made easier since citizens become
aware of their duties and responsibilities and become willing to make the nation
work.
16. It enhances the production of effective and proactive leaders .It serves as a
training platform for good and patriotic future leaders in many spheres of human
endeavors .
Duties and obligations of citizens to their communities

Every citizen has an immediate community where he operates. From the remote
or local community his contributions and activities diffuse into the wider or
national community. From his local community, a citizen’s action alongside other
people’s effort contributes to nation building.
Nation building therefore, demands certain worthwhile duties of the citizen in
whatever part of the nation he finds himself. They can be classified into
economic, religious/moral, social, political/civic, military and legal duties.
A. Economic duties of a citizen.
I. payment of taxes, rates and dues: One of the economic duties of a citizen is the
prompt payment of taxes and rates at when due.
II. Productive contribution to the economic development of the state: Citizens
must engage in productive ventures such as farming, fishing, mining,
manufacturing, teaching, medicine, engineering, driving, selling, marketing,
administration, legal services, printing and publishing, communication, modeling,
casting etc. It is through economic transactions that a country survives, develops
and interacts with other nations. Goods and services produced in a nation are
exchanged with those from other nations.
B. Political and civic duties of citizens
Among the respected duties of a citizen are his political and civic duties.
Belonging to the state is compulsory and not optional. It is therefore, mandatory
for every citizen to contribute to the growth of, development and sustenance of
the political society. It becomes pertinent for every citizen to contribute his best
in order to keep the political environment.

The political and civic duties of the citizens among others include:
i . Obedience to the law and constitution: Every citizen should obey all laws,
constitution and constituted authorities. Obedience to the law is the supreme
duty of all citizens.
ii. Maintenance of peace: It is the obligation of every citizen to maintain peace
and unity. They should engage in those activities and programs that foster unity
among the people . Assisting law enforcement agencies like police, traffic warden,
Federal road safety Corp FRSC, Economic and financial crime commission EFCC,
independent corrupt practices and other related offence commission ICPC,
National Drug law enforcement agency NDLEA,Standard Organization of Nigeria
SON etc, to report criminals and maintain peace remains the civic duty of citizens
iii. Loyalty: They should show loyalty to the country and constituted authorities
such as traditional/ spiritual leaders, political office holders and members of the
bench.
iv. Showing respect for the national symbols: National symbols such as
constitution, national flag national anthem, the national currency (Naira), national
pledge etc should be respected by the citizens.
v. voting: it is the duty of citizens to vote or be voted for during election.
Vi. Patriotism : citizens should be ready at any time, the situation demands to
defend the integrity and sovereignty of their country against any form of attack.
They should also report situations that may endanger the interest and territorial
oneness of Nigeria.

Vii . They should respect public property and take adequate care of them.
Viii. They should be proud of their country and portray her good image home and
abroad.
ix. They should respect the fundamental human rights and dignity of other
citizens.
x. They should place national interest above self and family affinity.
C. Social Duties Of Citizens
The citizens of a state performs certain social duties required to move the stare
forward. A citizen lives and interacts with other citizens. This forms his social
environment. Based on this, his duties remain to positively influence the lives of
others by his words of encouragement, assistance and advice. He engages in
environmental sanitation and the beautification of the environment.
Philanthropic gestures, rescue mission operation, relating well with other citizens,
helping to protect public property and giving information that would lead to He
also engages in social activities like voluntary works, services and donations,
prevention of crime. He should voluntarily participate in community
development, and community policing, and assist victims of natural disasters or
other emergency situation without expecting reward or remuneration.
D. military duties of citizens
Every nation survives on the strength of force. A good citizen is expected to offer
his military service wherever it is demanded to safeguard the territorial integrity
of his nation. Young able bodied men and women are expected to voluntarily

offer their services to the national military and paramilitary organizations. The
military men safeguard the nation against external aggressors. It is made up of
the army, the air force and navy.
In other words, the paramilitary maintains the internal security by enforcing the
law to bring about peace and order. They are professionally trained, paid and
equipped for their jobs. Some of them include the police force, customs and
excise, immigration, Federal Road Safety corps (FRSC) , Nigerian security an Civil
Defense corpse etc. Apart from those citizens whose profession is to defend the
nation and bring about peace and order, other citizens, otherwise called civilians
can help in military services by :
1. Enlisting in the military in war and emergency times.
2. Giving useful information to the military and paramilitary agencies.
3. participating in scouting and vigilante services.
4. Guarding public facilities against the menace of vandals and criminals.

E. Legal duties of citizens
Nigerian citizens are expected to perform some legal duties. The law is made to
be obeyed and executed for the smooth running of the society. Where the
citizens are not committed to the spirit of the law and where the leaders pay lip
service to it, society will most likely drift into anarchy. A breach of the law breeds
insecurity and economic retardation.

To avert a lawless state, a true and good citizen is expected to perform the
following legal duties:
1. To abide by the spirit and letter of the law as enacted by the parliament,
entrenched in the constitution or pronounced by the law court.
2. To offer possible help in law making through private initiation of motions and
bills in the legislature through his/her constituency representative. This offers
opportunity to a non member of the legislature to contribute in the process of
law making for the good governance of a state.
3. To avail oneself the opportunity of bearing witness in a court of law when
called upon to do so for speedy dispensation of justice.
4. To avail oneself of the use of legal documents, instruments and institutions
provided to direct orderly execution of our day to day business activities and
public and private relations.
Evaluation: Teacher evaluates and asks these questions:
1: Explain the meaning of citizenship Education.
2: List the six classes of duties and obligation of a citizen.
3: Discuss three examples of political or civic duties of a citizen.
4: who is a citizen?
Assignment: Teacher gives these assignments
1: what is culture?

2: Define tradition
3: what is the different between culture and tradition?
4: what is meaning of custom