ADULT EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper investigates adult education as a pivotal instrument for civic participation and leadership development in Nigeria. The study adopts a qualitative interpretive methodology grounded in secondary data sources, including policy reviews, programme evaluations, academic literature, and government reports. Using document and content analysis, the paper draws insights from illustrative case exemplars, such as national literacy initiatives and NGO-led interventions to examine how adult education empowers marginalised populations to engage in governance, leadership, and democratic processes. Findings indicate that adult learners exposed to civic education demonstrate increased voter registration, enhanced participation in community forums, and more active involvement in policy advocacy. The analysis further highlights how structured adult learning fosters leadership emergence among women and informal sector workers in underserved areas. Despite this transformative potential, civic-oriented adult education in Nigeria is constrained by limited curricula, generic learning resources, socio-economic exclusion, and weak institutional linkages. The study concludes that integrating civic education into adult learning through context-sensitive content, multi-stakeholder engagement, and inclusive policy frameworks can reshape Nigeria’s sociopolitical landscape by cultivating a more informed, responsive, and participatory citizenry.