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Teaching Land Boundaries in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Curriculum Content, Pedagogical Approaches, and Students' Understanding of Territorial Disputes Ibiang Obono Okoi
Indonesian Journal of Educational Studies Vol 29, No 1 (2026): Indonesian Journal of Educational Studies
Publisher : Universitas Negeri Makassar

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.26858/ijes.v29i1.89284

Abstract

Land boundary disputes constitute a persistent source of conflict, displacement, and economic disruption across Nigeria. Yet the subject of land boundaries—including their historical origins, legal frameworks, and peaceful resolution mechanisms—is rarely addressed in Nigerian secondary school curricula. This study examines the current state of land boundary education in Nigerian secondary schools, focusing on curriculum content, pedagogical approaches, and students' understanding of territorial disputes. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study combines document analysis of geography and civic education curricula and textbooks, a survey of 150 secondary school students across three geopolitical zones (Rivers, Anambra, and Kaduna States), and focus group discussions with 20 geography and civic education teachers. Findings reveal that land boundary topics receive superficial treatment in current curricula, with limited attention to historical, legal, and conflict resolution dimensions. Students demonstrated significant gaps in understanding how boundaries are established, why disputes arise, and how they can be peacefully resolved. Teachers reported inadequate instructional materials and a lack of professional development on boundary-related topics. The study argues that the absence of boundary literacy in the secondary school curriculum leaves students ill-equipped to understand or engage with the territorial disputes shaping their communities. It recommends integrating boundary education into geography and civic education curricula, developing contextually relevant teaching materials, and adopting participatory pedagogical approaches that draw on students' lived experiences of boundary issues.
Land Boundary Disputes and School Access: The Impact of Territorial Conflicts on Educational Participation in Nigerian Border Communities Ibiang Obono Okoi
Indonesian Journal of Educational Studies Vol 28, No 2 (2025): Indonesian Journal of Educational Studies
Publisher : Universitas Negeri Makassar

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.26858/ijes.v28i2.89292

Abstract

Land boundary disputes between states, local government areas, and communities in Nigeria have become a recurring feature of the country's conflict landscape. While considerable attention has been paid to the human and economic costs of these disputes, their impact on educational participation in affected border communities remains under-documented. This study investigates how land boundary conflicts affect school attendance, teacher deployment, and learning outcomes in Nigerian border communities. Drawing on case studies from Oyo State, where 23 primary schools were closed for ten years due to boundary disputes, and Ebonyi State, where schools were shut down in Amasiri following a deadly land conflict, the study examines the mechanisms through which territorial disputes disrupt educational access. The findings reveal that boundary conflicts lead to school closures, displacement of students and teachers, destruction of school infrastructure, and long-term learning losses. The study argues that land boundary disputes have significant but under-documented impacts on educational access and participation, and that schools in disputed areas experience higher dropout rates, irregular attendance, and teacher shortages. It recommends targeted interventions, including the development of education in emergencies frameworks, community-based schooling models, and the integration of peace education into curricula, to ensure educational continuity in conflict-affected border communities.