The curriculum will emphasise participatory governance, diversity, peace, justice, and value-based learning, ensuring universities produce not just graduates, but responsible citizens committed to nation-building.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Monday, inaugurated a committee to integrate citizenship studies into the curriculum of tertiary institutions in the country.
Mr Issa-Onilu inaugurated the committee at the NOA headquarters in Abuja.
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The team comprises representatives of the NOA and the National Universities Commission (NUC). Its establishment followed the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Speaking at the event, the NOA boss said the committee was constituted to embed national identity elements and the National Values Charter into university curricula.
"The inauguration of this joint committee for the infusion of national identity elements and the National Values Charter into the university curriculum is not just an administrative activity; it is the very foundation of our collective future as a nation," he said.
Mr Issa-Onilu emphasised that the initiative was informed by the gradual erosion of Nigeria's national values. Introducing citizenship studies at the tertiary level, he stated, would help restore unity and shared aspirations among Nigerians.
He described the Nigerian Identity Project as a national movement anchored on action, shared responsibility, and institutional transformation.
"Since independence, Nigeria has been known for the strength of her people, resilient, diverse, and united in aspiration. Yet, over the years, we have witnessed a gradual erosion of the values that once defined us. The Nigerian Identity Project is our deliberate effort to restore that foundation. It is a national movement, not built on slogans, but on action, shared responsibility, and a commitment to institutional transformation.
"At the heart of this project lies the National Values Charter, a renewed social contract between Nigeria, our country and its people. The Charter is structured around two pillars: The Nigerian Promise, which outlines what every citizen deserves, and the Citizen Codes, which define the values we are called to live by. These principles are not abstract; they must be embedded in the hearts of our young people, starting in our schools and culminating in our universities," he said.
He noted that citizenship studies have been fully integrated into primary and secondary school curricula, while polytechnics and colleges of education are at advanced stages of doing the same. The university system, he said, represents the final phase of mainstreaming civic values.
"Let me commend the progress already made in this regard. Citizenship Studies has now been fully integrated into the primary and secondary school curricula across the country. The Boards of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education are also in the stages of embedding it into their programmes. This Committee represents the final stretch, mainstreaming national values at the highest level of learning, our universities," he said.
How the curriculum will be implemented
Mr Issa-Onilu outlined seven core commitments expected to guide the committee's work, noting that the curriculum should ensure equal access to opportunities for all citizens.
He stressed that tertiary institutions must teach and demonstrate participatory governance, helping students understand their rights, responsibilities, and the value of civic engagement. Through value-based learning, he said, universities must prepare young people not only for careers but also for nation-building.
On peace and security, he said universities should become centres of peaceful discourse and ideological stability, contributing to national cohesion.
He added that the curriculum must celebrate Nigeria's diversity and ensure inclusion irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or disability. It must also uphold freedom and justice by teaching legal and civic rights alongside ethics, fairness, and the rule of law.
He emphasised merit-based reward systems, stating that excellence, rather than favouritism, should guide academic and institutional governance.
Mr Issa-Onilu also revealed plans for a national cartoon series aimed at helping children learn citizenship values early.
He urged the committee to approach the assignment with urgency, unity, and clarity of purpose.
"This committee is now charged with carrying this work forward, ensuring that our universities don't just produce graduates, but nurture citizens who carry the Nigerian Identity with honour and purpose.
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"Let us approach this task with urgency, clarity, and unity of purpose. In reclaiming who we are, we are building the Nigeria we were always meant to be. I hereby inaugurate this joint committee," he said.
NUC expresses commitment
Responding on behalf of the NUC, Assistant Chief Academic Planning Officer at the Directorate of Academic Planning, Florence Onuoha, assured that the commission would fully support and deliver on its mandate.
"Part of the NUC's mandate is to ensure the orderly development of a well-coordinated and productive university system and the legal framework to achieve this is the CAP E3 LFN 2004, which empowers the commission to lay down minimum academic standards for all universities and other degree-awarding institutions of higher learning in Nigeria, as well as the accreditation of all academic programmes.
"I would like to assure us that this joint committee will do justice to the task assigned to us and inform us that the development of the curriculum is done in collaboration with academic experts who specialise in the area," she said.
