National Development – SS2 Citizenship & Heritage Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

National development is the total improvement in the life of every citizen, so that people are healthier, better educated, safer and able to afford their needs.

• Subject: Citizenship and Heritage Studies
• Class: SS2
• Focus: Meaning of national development and the roles of an active citizen.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of national development;
2. distinguish between a passive citizen and an active citizen;
3. state and explain the roles of an active citizen in national development;
4. explain why the small actions of one person matter;
5. list the challenges to active citizenship in Nigeria.

What is national development?

National development is the total improvement in the life of every citizen, not only the building of roads and bridges.

• Health: people are healthier because there are good hospitals and clinics.
• Education: people are better educated because there are quality schools.
• Security: people are safer because crime is low.
• Economy: people can afford their needs because the economy is good.

Why are buildings not enough?

• Big projects: bridges, railways and skyscrapers are important, but they are only part of development.
• Example: a country with the best roads in the world is not truly developed if its people are hungry and uneducated.
• Main point: development is about people as well as buildings.

What is a citizen?

A citizen is a person who belongs to a country by birth, descent or registration and has rights and duties there.

• Rights: the freedoms and protection the country gives a citizen.
• Duties: the things a citizen must do for the country, such as obeying laws and paying taxes.

Who is an active citizen?

An active citizen is a person who takes a personal interest in how the country is run and works to make it better.

There are two types of citizens: passive citizens and active citizens.

Passive citizen

• Attitude: just lives in the country.
• Behaviour: complains about everything but does nothing.
• Expectation: waits for “the government” to fix every single bulb.

Active citizen

• Attitude: acts as an “engine room” of development.
• Questions asked: “What can Nigeria do for me?” and also “What can I do for my street, my school and my country?”
• Behaviour: takes part, gives time and protects what belongs to everyone.

Passive citizen compared with active citizen

What are the roles of an active citizen in national development?

An active citizen helps national development by taking part in politics, paying taxes, obeying laws, serving the community and protecting public property.

1. Participating in the political process

• Registering: register to vote when you are 18.
• Voting: go out and vote on election day.
• Asking questions: ask local leaders, for example, “What happened to the money meant for our community clinic?”
• Note: you do not have to be a politician to be active.

2. Paying taxes and rates

• Why: the government needs money from taxes to run development projects.
• Examples: income tax and fees such as shop permits.
• Active citizen: does not dodge payment, because the money builds the roads and schools everyone uses.

3. Obeying the law

• Why: development cannot happen where there is chaos.
• Examples: obey traffic lights, dispose of waste properly and avoid crime.
• Result: the government saves money it would have spent fixing the mess.

4. Community service

• Meaning: work done freely to help the people around you.
• Examples: clear a blocked gutter in your street, or teach a younger neighbour to read.
• Result: “small scale development” starts right where you live, without a government contract.

5. Protecting public property

• Public property: things owned by everyone, such as public taps, streetlights and electrical cables.
• Harmful acts: stealing cables or destroying streetlights during protests sets development back.
• Active citizen: sees a public tap as “our tap” and protects it.

Why does a small action matter?

A small action matters because many small actions from many citizens add up to national progress.

• Bucket example: think of Nigeria as a bucket and each active citizen as one drop of water. Many drops fill the bucket.
• Refuse: if one person stops throwing rubbish on the road, the city stays cleaner.
• Honesty: if one student refuses to cheat, certificates keep their value.
• Safety: if one person reports a crime, the street becomes safer.

What are the challenges to active citizenship in Nigeria?

The main challenges to active citizenship in Nigeria are poverty, illiteracy, corruption and fear.

• Poverty: it is hard to think about developing the nation when you are struggling to eat.
• Illiteracy: many people do not know their rights or how the system works.
• Corruption: when people see leaders stealing, they feel discouraged and stop trying to be good citizens.
• Fear: some people are afraid of being targeted if they speak up against wrongdoing.

How can the challenges be reduced?

The challenges are reduced when government and citizens both act on education, honesty and fairness.

• Education: teach people their rights and duties through schools and civic education.
• Jobs and fair pay: reduce poverty so more people can give time to their community.
• Honest leadership: punish corruption so citizens regain trust.
• Protection: make it safe for citizens to report wrongdoing.

How do government and citizens share the work of development?

National development is a “joint venture” between the government and the citizens.

• Government: provides the plan and the big resources.
• Citizens: provide the energy and the maintenance.
• SS2 student: your development starts with your education.
• Integrity: by studying hard and being honest, you are already developing a part of Nigeria: yourself.

Revision table: actions and their impact

Evaluation

1. What is national development?
2. State the difference between a passive citizen and an active citizen.
3. Explain any three roles of an active citizen in national development.
4. List four challenges to active citizenship in Nigeria.
5. Class discussion: the government builds a new park, but people in the area litter and break the chairs. Who is responsible for the lack of development there: the government or the citizens?

Assignment

Choose two roles of an active citizen from the lesson. For each one, write a short paragraph explaining how you can carry it out in your own community and how it helps national development.