REFORMING TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Nigeria's transition to democracy from 1999 to date has been saddled with persistent civil unrest and violence as a result of conflicts between communities and ethnic nationalities. Education in general and Technical Vocational Education and Training in particular should be providing students with conflict and peace building skills among others to address such challenges. However, the TVET system at Polytechnic, College of Education Technical and Technical College levels are deficient in Peace Education. Against this backdrop the need for reform emerges. This paper therefore examines the scope of Peace Education, TVET system at Polytechnic, College of Education Technical and Technical College levels, identifies Peace Education gaps in the vision and mission statements, curricula, the school environment and pedagogy of the teachers for the purpose of reform. Also, the paper suggests strategies such as the introduction of core values of Peace, Tolerance, Diversity as well as nature and causes of conflicts and strategies for its management in the curricula of the TVET system in Nigeria. Six recommendations were made among which is that the NBTE and the NCCE should ensure that the curricula are reviewed to reflect the peace education requirements of Nigeria during the next review of the curricula.