Nigeria’s Failures Can Be Corrected Through Education Psychology – Varsity Don

An Educational Psychologist at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, (IBBU) Lapai, Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Baji has said that corruption, violence, and instability that are at the root of Nigeria’s failures can be corrected through sound educational psychology.

He disclosed this during his presentation at the 31st Inaugural Lecture, IBBUL with the theme: “Educational Psychology beyond the Classroom: Promoting Well-Being, Character Formation and National Development,” held at the main campus in Lapai.

The university don said educational psychology can help in the area of correcting failures in the country through the building of positive characters and peace education for responsible citizenship.
Professor Baji posited that some mental health problems could be corrected through an educational psychology and not solely a medical matter.

He explained that families, schools, and communities share responsibility for the psychological well-being of the young child, noting that psychological empowerment precedes economic empowerment.

He noted that character education is a “national security strategy: the corruption, violence, and instability that threaten Nigeria are, at their root, failures of character which educational psychology can help to prevent through the building of positive characters, peace education and responsible citizenship”.

The 31st Inaugural Lecturer envisaged a future in which Educational Psychology will serve not only as a discipline for understanding learning but as a catalyst for building psychologically healthy individuals, resilient families, inclusive schools, responsible communities, and a sustainable, cohesive Nigerian nation.

He therefore recommended that the Federal Government should reposition Educational Psychology as a strategic component of national development policy, since insecurity, unemployment, school dropout, examination malpractice, and declining moral values cannot be effectively addressed through economic and military interventions alone.

According to him, such efforts will cover: Integrating Comprehensive School Mental Health Programmes, Strengthening Guidance and Counselling Services Nationwide, Mainstreaming Character, Civic and Citizenship Education, Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Education, Prioritising Family-Based Educational Policies as well as Institutionalising Psychological Support within Educational Policy.