Integrating Peace and Human Rights Education into School Curricula: A Strategy for Building Resilient and Secure Communities in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

Building resilient and secure communities can be actualised when peace and human rights education is given adequate consideration by integrating it into school curricula. This paper examines the strategic significance of integrating peace and human rights education (PHRE) into school curricula as a proactive strategy for fostering resilience, social justice and sustainable security in the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Using a qualitative research approach based on secondary sources of data, including policy documents, academic literature, non-governmental organization (NGO) reports and media publications, the study employs thematic analysis to explore how education can serve as a transformative tool for conflict prevention and human empowerment. The findings reveal that weak institutionalization of peace and human rights principles in educational systems contributes to persistent violence, youth restiveness and environmental injustice in the region. Conversely, where PHRE initiatives have been introduced, there is evidence of improved civic awareness, participatory citizenship and community dialogue mechanisms. The paper argues that embedding PHRE in formal and informal learning systems enhances conflict sensitivity, environmental stewardship and accountability. It notes that the integration of peace and human rights education into the curricula of schools in the Niger Delta offers a sustainable framework for rebuilding trust, reducing structural violence and strengthening the capacity of communities to manage disputes in a non-violent manner, thereby linking education to the broader agenda of peacebuilding, human security and equitable development.