Religious Education, Peacebuilding, and Democratic Citizenship in Nigeria: A Curriculum and Pedagogical Analysis

IQRO: Journal of Islamic Education 2026, Vol.9, No.1, hal.175-184 ISSN(E): 2622-3201 2026 PAI UIN Palopo. https://ejournal.iainpalopo.ac.id/index.php/iqro Religious Education, Peacebuilding, and Democratic Citizenship in Nigeria: A Curriculum and Pedagogical Analysis Yahya Isiaq Oluwatosin1, Sanni Mufutau Olayiwola2, Asade Wahab Adeshola3, Kewulere Adam Olasunkanmi4 ,Yusuf Lawal Ayantunde5 Lagos State University, Nigeria email: 1-5 Abstract Nigeria’s multi-religious and pluralistic society continues to experience persistent tensions and conflicts, highlighting the urgent need for educational strategies that promote democratic citizenship and sustainable peace. This study presents a conceptual and curriculum-based analysis of the role of Religious Education (RE) in advancing peacebuilding and democratic engagement in Nigeria. Drawing on existing literature and policy frameworks, the paper critiques the predominantly confessional and doctrinal orientation of current RE curricula, particularly Christian Religious Studies (CRS) and Islamic Religious Studies (IRS), which often marginalise interreligious literacy, critical civic competencies, and peace-oriented content. The analysis identifies key gaps in curriculum design, pedagogical practices, and systemic implementation, including inadequate teacher training, weak integration of peace education, and the challenges associated with merging religious and civic education into composite subjects such as “Religion and National Values.” The paper argues for comprehensive curriculum reform that incorporates pluralistic perspectives, embeds peace education across disciplines, and strengthens the nexus between religious ethics, human rights, and democratic citizenship. It further emphasises the adoption of dialogic and participatory pedagogies, alongside strengthened school–community partnerships, to enhance contextual relevance and social cohesion. The study concludes that a reconceptualised and inclusive Religious Education framework can serve as a strategic tool for nurturing ethically grounded and socially responsible citizens capable of contributing to Nigeria’s democratic consolidation and long-term peace. Keywords: Religious Education; Peacebuilding; Democratic Citizenship; Curriculum Reform; Nigeria ©IQRO: Journal of Islamic Education. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC BY-SA 4.0) Introduction Nigeria's socio-political landscape is characterised by deep pluralism across ethnic, cultural, and religious lines. This diversity enriches the nation but also contributes to persistent tensions and conflict. Historically, interreligious tensions, particularly between Muslim and Christian communities, have periodically escalated into violence, undermining social cohesion and national development (Akila & Blackmer, 2024). Such patterns reveal the urgent need for educational strategies that can cultivate democratic citizenship, mutual respect, and peacebuilding among citizens from early stages of schooling onward. Education, particularly Religious Education (RE), occupies an important position in Nigeria's curriculum. Designed to impart ethical values, religious literacy, and moral 176 | Yahya Isiaq Oluwatosin et al. formation, RE has traditionally been viewed as a means for shaping individual character and fostering societal harmony (Kuponu & Akinsanya, 2025). However, the effectiveness of religious education in promoting democratic citizenship and peacebuilding remains contested. Critics contend that confessional or doctrinal teaching alone may fall short of equipping learners with the critical civic competencies required for democratic participation or interreligious cooperation (Kwayas, Stephen, Solomon, & Kasu, 2025). The curriculum framework for Religious and Civic education in Nigeria has undergone reforms to respond to these concerns. The National Policy on Education recognises the role of education in promoting values that facilitate "living in unity and harmony as one indivisible, indissoluble, democratic, and sovereign nation" (Federal Republic of Nigeria, as cited in Ajibola & Musa, 2024). Despite this policy objective, empirical studies reveal gaps in curriculum design and implementation. For example, investigations into Christian Religious Studies (CRS) curricula in Colleges of Education indicate that while the curriculum has the potential to promote interreligious peace, its implementation is undermined by inadequate resources and a narrow focus that does not sufficiently engage pluralistic perspectives (Ajibola, Olowo, & Abunimye, 2022). At the classroom level, pedagogical challenges further limit the peacebuilding and citizenship impact of RE. Traditional modes of instruction, often focused on memorisation and doctrinal conformity, are ill-suited to fostering the critical thinking, dialogue, and conflict resolution competencies essential for democratic citizenship in a plural society. Scholars have argued that transformative pedagogies, those that engage learners in reflective dialogue about civic values and diverse worldviews, are necessary to realise the democratic and peacebuilding potential of religious education (Selome & Akinsanya, 2025; Yahya et. al., 2025). Moreover, the intersection of citizenship education and religious literacy is increasingly foregrounded in research on national unity in Nigeria. Citizenship education has been shown to promote tolerance, patriotism, and social cohesion among learners, indicating that integrated pedagogical approaches could strengthen both democratic engagement and peaceful intergroup relations (Ugobueze, 2024). Yet, the partition between civic and religious educational content in practice reflects a missed opportunity to harness synergies between these domains for peace and democratic readiness. Research on peacebuilding further emphasises the constructive role that religion and religious education can play when curriculum and pedagogy are framed to support dialogue and social reconciliation rather than sectarian identity reinforcement. Religion, when appropriately mediated, can serve as a platform for conflict transformation and community healing, particularly in regions afflicted by prolonged violence (Haruna, Abraham, & Omede, 2025). In this light, examining how Religious Education curriculum and teaching practices align (or fail to align) with democratic and peacebuilding goals becomes imperative for educational policy and practice. Furthermore, there is an emerging consensus in African educational scholarship advocating contextualised and decolonised approaches to religious education that affirm local identities, promote intercultural understanding, and support sustainable peacebuilding outcomes (Muasya, 2024; Yahya & Kewulere, 2024). Such perspectives IQRO: Journal of Islamic Education Religious Education, Peacebuilding, and Democratic Citizenship in Nigeria... |177 resonate stron (...truncated)