| One of the major problems confronting Sub-Saharan African governments is national integration, the sense of belonging to a state entity which transcends traditional ethnic and tribal loyalties. The argument is frequently made that state-directed formal education offers an effective way to inculcate new national values, replacing the inherently narrow ethnic ones. This study examined the role of formal education in promoting a sense of national identity in Nigeria. It examined the extent and causes of national disintegration and how policy makers perceived the role of education in national integration and reintegration. Through comparative analysis the study analyzed why and how various governments in Nigeria used or did not use educational policies not only to modify Nigerian political culture, but also to integrate students of diverse ethnic groups into institutions that represent national values.;A combination of historical and content analysis was employed to examine selected government documents and literature on educational policies in the following periods: Colonial (1841-1950). Decolonization (1951-1966), and Praetorian (1966-1990). The model of Brian Holmes was used in a comparative analysis to determine first, if there was a pattern of continuity or discontinuity in the trends of educational policies in the three time periods, and second, if educational policies in the three periods were a result of the political changes in the government and represented different attitudes and values of the ruling elites.;An examination of government documents and relevant literature revealed that governments made little conscious attempt to use formal education as an instrument for promoting national integration in the Colonial and the Decolonization periods. By contrast, the study found that, since the Civil War (1967-1970), governments have adopted many educational policies designed to promote national integration in Nigeria. However, the study also showed that some of the educational policies in the Praetorian period were counterproductive. |
