Achieving Good Governance in Nigeria Through Social Studies Voter Education

Abstract

This study discussed the implication of voter education for good governance in Nigeria. The paper discussed the concept of voter education as a kind of education concerned with the process of educating the youths on their rights and values as well as their duties of the government to the society in relation to the election processes. Voter education enables the youths to realize that democracy is an indispensable pre- condition for rapid national development and equally educate them about their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Voter education focuses on the determinants of the attitude of citizens to civic and political issues as their knowledge about the political system. Civic engagements or practices of the citizens are determined by their political attitudes, practices are also interrelated and independent. Quality voter education has the capacity to help the youths to identify the danger of political apathy, political silence and political violence which might translate to and deemphasize those factors that only tends to disintegrate, rather than articulate our collective interest in the country. Voter education no doubt is a veritable tool for good governance since it enables citizens to possess appropriate skills, knowledge, values and thus manifest the appropriate behaviours which promote sustainable democracy. Through voter education, youths will acquire adequate information, skills, experience and knowledge about the political process and thus enable them to exhibit the right attitude as citizens for the development of the country, through ensuring good governance.