EDUCATION AND NIGERIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY

Of recent, especially in the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has been a victim of communal, ethnic and religious violence. The situation has assumed a dangerous scenario with the emergence of Boko Haram terrorist group. In all the violent conflicts, youth has been the cannon fodder in the hand of politicians or religious zealots in fomenting trouble in the land. The reason is premised on the high rate of unemployment among the youth which is a fallout of faulty educational system that renders Nigerian youth unemployable in the labour market. The economic predicament of the Nigerian youth has made them ruthless in crimes. Using system theory, the paper examines Nigeria’s education vis-a-vis national security. The paper maintains that unless Nigeria’s education is reformed in such a manner that will make youth self-reliance, then the end of insecurity perpetrated by youth is not yet in sight. The paper also advocates mass employment provision by government to unemployed youth as a measure to address Nigeria’s problem of insecurity.