MATHEMATICS EDUCATION: A UNIVERSAL REMEDY FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT PREVENTION IN NIGERIAN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

Abstract

Education in general is an instrument for national development and social change. Development occurs in a society only when there is peace and absence of conflict among individuals. Nigeria has experienced a lot of conflicts among the people of different ethnic groups, states, communities and so on. And as a nation filled with minerals and natural resources, the main causes of these conflicts have been the issues of management and distribution/allocation of these natural resources. Mathematics has great impact potentials in every society.  As soon as mathematics is applied in our Nigerian contemporary society, the issue of allocation will be handled appropriately and thereby promoting peace and preventing conflicts in the country. This paper discusses Mathematics Education as a universal remedy for peace and conflict prevention in Nigerian Contemporary Society. To achieve this, it has sub-themes like the concepts of peace and conflict, mathematics as a pillar of peace in Nigeria and Mathematics education for conflict prevention in Nigeria. Finally some recommendations are made for improvements in the teaching and learning of mathematics in Nigerian schools and this objective when realized will increase the number of agents of peace and conflict prevention in the country.