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INTEGRATING CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION INTO THE NIGERIAN BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Backgound of the Study 
Climate change is the most common environmental issue of the twenty-first century, and there is an evident implication on the ecological, agricultural, and social sectors of Nigeria. High temperatures, on-the-job changes in the regime of precipitations, increased flooding in the Niger Delta and along the coast, gradual desertification of the northern regions, and a rise in the frequency of excessive meteorological conditions all make up a climate crisis that threatens livelihoods, food security, and development paths of millions of Nigerians (Okon et al., 2021). The educational system in this milieu has a critical role to play and has a special ability to prepare future citizens with knowledge, values and agency necessary to comprehend, adjust and reduce climate change.

Climate change education (CCE) refers to the intentional integration of climate science, environmental ethics, adaptation planning and mitigation philosophies into official curricula, to produce knowledgeable, active and action-oriented citizens. In the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and in the Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, education is explicitly cited as an essential tool of climate action, where signatory states, such as Nigeria, are instructed to incorporate climate change consciousness in the national education systems. Although such global commitments exist, climate change education implementation in the Basic Education curriculum in Nigeria is still disjointed, incoherent, and mostly based on the individual teacher and not a systematic curricular face (Jerume & Njoku, 2023).

The curriculum of Basic Education in Nigeria, as developed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) that covers the first 9 years of formal schooling (primary 1 to junior secondary school 3) offers the knowledge frameworks, value orientations and intellectual abilities that form the basis of how students understand the natural world. The lack of the systematic climate change content in this curriculum is a major missed opportunity since students enrolled in the Basic Education form the group that will be directly exposed to the most harmful effects of climate change and will ultimately be the ones to take the lead in adapting and reducing climate change effects on the community, national, and international levels.

The current research examines the opportunities, mechanisms, and issues related to integrating climate change education into the Nigerian Basic Education school curriculum, question existing curricular content, teacher preparedness, policy initiatives and views of the stakeholders. In so doing, it will produce evidence that can inform evidence-based curricular change to a more climate-aware Nigerian citizenry.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite the fact that Nigeria ratified the Paris Agreement and the spread of global frameworks supporting the idea of climate change education, Nigerian Basic Education curriculum has remained unstructurally revised in order to include the extensive climate change content. A review of modern NERDC frameworks in primary and junior secondary schools demonstrates the disorganised coverage of environmental issues scattered throughout the Basic Science, Social Studies, and Agricultural Science curricula, a lack of a specific climate change framework, an absence of progressive learning outcomes reflecting cognitive development of students, and a teacher training requirement (Jerume & Njoku, 2023).

Educators who provide the current Basic Education curricula report inadequacies in their training to cover topics of climate change confidently, including referencing pre-service training that did not cover climate topics, not having climate-specific educational resources, and a lack of in-service professional development opportunities training in environmental education (Eze et al., 2022). As such, learners who leave out of Basic Education have limited climate literacy, lack of knowledge on climate science, lack of awareness of local adaptation opportunities, and a low sense of individual or shared agency in climate action.

This curriculum shortfall has systemic consequences at a time when Nigeria is becoming increasingly susceptible to climate change. It is impossible to engage with environmental themes without the conceptual understanding of climate in the form of foundational climate literacy in Basic Education. The issue, consequently, would require an exploration of the existing situation of the climate change education in the Nigerian Basic Schools, as well as the circumstances that should be present in order to implement the curricular integration effectively.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. Evaluate the current extent of climate change content within the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum.
2. Assess the level of teacher readiness for delivering climate change education within Nigerian Basic Schools.
3. Examine the perceptions of curriculum planners, teachers, and students regarding the integration of climate change education into the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum.
4. Identify the institutional, pedagogical, and policy barriers to effective integration of climate change education within the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum.
5. Propose a framework for the systematic integration of climate change education into the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum across key subject areas.

1.4 Research Questions

1. To what extent does climate change content currently exist within the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum?
2. What is the level of teacher readiness for delivering climate change education within Nigerian Basic Schools?
3. What are the perceptions of curriculum planners, teachers, and students regarding the integration of climate change education into the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum?
4. What institutional, pedagogical, and policy barriers hinder effective integration of climate change education within the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum?
5. What framework can be proposed for the systematic integration of climate change education across the Nigerian Basic Education curriculum?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of this study operates at ecological, educational, and policy levels. Ecologically, the study’s ultimate purpose is to contribute to Nigeria’s climate resilience by addressing the educational deficit that underlies knowledge and behavioural gaps in climate adaptation. Nigeria ranks among the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change globally, and investments in climate literacy at the foundational educational level represent among the most cost-effective long-term strategies available to the Nigerian state.

In educational terms, the study offers NERDC, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and state education ministries with empirical evidence and a curricular integration framework that can inform the next round of Basic Education curriculum review. The proposed framework draws on best practices from climate change curricula implemented in Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, and India, adapted for the specific learning objectives, teacher capacities, and resource conditions of the Nigerian Basic Education system.

For the global community of climate change education researchers, the study contributes a detailed account of the barriers and enablers of CCE integration in a large, complex, developing-country educational system, a perspective that is systematically underrepresented in the predominantly European and North American CCE research literature.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study covers the nine-year Basic Education cycle spanning primary one to junior secondary school three in Nigeria, with curricular analysis conducted at the national level based on NERDC-approved syllabi. Empirical data collection is designed to span six of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to ensure representativeness across regional ecological, socioeconomic, and pedagogical contexts. Teacher readiness is assessed through a validated survey instrument, while curriculum planner and student perspectives are gathered through purposively designed interview protocols.

1.7 Definition of Key Terms

Climate Change Education (CCE): The intentional, structured inclusion within formal educational curricula of content, pedagogies, and learning objectives relating to climate science.

Basic Education Curriculum: The officially prescribed learning framework for Nigerians in grades primary one through junior secondary school three (ages approximately 6–15).

Climate Literacy: The capacity to understand the fundamental principles of climate science, recognise the human and natural drivers of climate change, interpret climate data and projections, and connect climate knowledge to adaptive decision-making at personal and community levels.

Curriculum Integration: The deliberate process of embedding climate change content, themes, and objectives across multiple subject areas of the existing curriculum.

Teacher Readiness: The constellation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and institutional supports that determine a teacher’s capacity to effectively deliver climate change education, including content knowledge, pedagogical competence, access to materials, and professional development opportunities.

Adaptation: Actions taken by individuals, communities, or institutions to adjust to actual or anticipated climate conditions.