JONAED

This study explores Cicero’s concept of moral education as a veritable tool for achieving sustainable development in Nigeria. Cicero, a Roman philosopher at a point corruption and moral decay were prevalent in Rome just like in Nigeria presently, proposed moral education for young individuals as a way to arrest and change the trend of life. Cicero’s moral education is based on four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, courage and temperance). For Cicero, moral education is an attempt to instill in young people by the humanist educators (teachers), those virtues he considers as sources of moral rectitude for ethical and moral reasoning. Each level of education is very important because learners at various levels need to be properly guided not only for skills acquisition but with regard to their moral development so as to enable them as a matter of duty, contribute meaningfully to sustainable national development. However, it is believed that educational institutions have done little or nothing concerning moral development of learners through religious studies, civic education etc. This assumption is made based on the rate of moral decay among individuals in Nigeria both young and old. The resultant effects are economic, sociopolitical and religious problems which have not provided the needed environment for sustainable development. Thus, the call for education embellished with Cicero’s ideas on moral education at all levels to engender the right environment where sustainable development can be attained. Also, seminars on Cicero’s concept of moral education are to be regularly organized to encourage teachers to mediate appropriate moral values to their learners.