Thursday, April 16th 2026

Nigeria making first steps to introduce a peace education curriculum with UNESCO’s support.


Nigeria making first steps to introduce a peace education curriculum with UNESCO’s support.
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Addressing national histories of violence and conflicts is essential for building and sustaining peace but can be extremely sensitive and complex – especially in contexts that have witnessed very recent atrocities. Inspired by the pedagogy of Holocaust education, Nigeria is now crafting its own delicate and balanced approach to navigate national challenges and promote a shared understanding of history.
Education officials from all over Nigeria met in Lagos on 26-27 October 2023 under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education to discuss the development of the first national peace education curriculum with a focus on addressing violent pasts. It aims to unpack the country’s rich, diverse and complicated history and provide students with the knowledge and values needed to prevent atrocities and live together in peace. Nigeria is rolling out this project as part of UNESCO’s International Program on Holocaust and Genocide Education, implemented with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Lagos meeting participants underscored the nationwide importance of such a curriculum. They discussed how they could draw from international expertise and practices of teaching about violent pasts to inform its drafting. Studying the history of the Holocaust can enhance understanding of the drivers, processes and consequences of genocide, the danger of prejudice and hate speech, and the human dimensions of historical events. It has also proven to be a helpful entry point for engaging in difficult conversations about unaddressed national trauma. 

As an outcome of the gathering, the Secretary General of the Nigeria National Commission for UNESCO, Director from the Federal Ministry of Education, Executive Secretary of Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Executive secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and Commissioners of Education from selected six geopolitical zones (federal regions) of Nigeria agreed on an action plan with the next steps for the curriculum development, implementation and dissemination. 

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