Benchmark Journals INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL BENCHMARK (IJEB), eISSN: 2489-0170 pISSN:2489-4162 University of Uyo VOL. 15 (1) 2020 Page 1 Moral Virtues in History Curriculum for Corruption Free Societies in the 21 st Century Nigeria: Assessment of Umaru Musa Yar ‘adua University Lecturers and Students Yusuf Danladi Mohammed Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Foundations Federal University Dutsin-ma, Katsina State – Nigeria Abstract The principal goal of teaching history in Nigerian schools is to help the generation of youths accomplish a higher degree of moral standing / behavior in order to enable them play their parts towards achieving societies that are free from corruption. This paper surveyed the difference among Umaru Musa Yar ‘adua University lecturers’ perception of teaching the moral virtues enshrined in history curriculum to enable students play vital role towards making the 21 st century Nigerian societies corruption free. Two research objectives, questions and hypotheses were formulated to guide the research. A total of 116 B.A History students and 18 lecturers from department of history and security studies formed the population of the study. A sample of 107 B.A History students and 18 lecturers were selected. Lecturers’ Perception of Teaching the Moral Virtues in History Curriculum for Corruption free Societies (LPTMVHCCF) and Students’ Perception of Learning the Moral Virtues in History Curriculum for a Corruption free Societies” (SPLMVHCCF) were used for data collection in the study. And the data collected were analyzed using t-test statistics. The study findings revealed a significant difference among UMYU lecturers’ perception of teaching the moral virtues in history for equipping the generation of Nigerian students with morals needed to build up corrupt free societies. Keywords: Moral Virtues, History, Curriculum, Corruption free, Umaru Musa Yar ‘adua University. Introduction: The term “morality stems from the Latin word ‘moralitas’ (manner, character, proper behaviour) meaning, the learning process of distinguishing between virtues and vices” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Webster’s Dictionary defines morality as “the doctrine or system of conduct defining principles of right and wrong behaviour”. Ahmed (2007: 35) viewed morality as “human codes of behaviour that are acceptable in a specific group of people at a specific time and territory”. In the society, the moral virtues are represented as a collection of norms that are taught to the young learners through a series of classroom activities within the framework of the school system, and “enforced upon adults through the threat of sanctions and punishments that can be either subtle or extreme, arising from varied sources as culture, family and community” (Maududi, 1948, in Baffa 2014: 13). Similarly, Ornstein (2009:156) opine that “a good man is a good society”. This implies that moral virtues play a key role in embellishing the personality features of individuals whom by extension, make up a corrupt free society in which social justice, fairness and equity prevail. The study of themes in Nigerian history in particular, and in the African history in general, embodied numerous parables that aim primarily, at equipping as well as acquainting the generation of Nigerian youths with such moral virtues as: “empathy, sympathy, trustworthiness, open-mindedness, tolerance, courage, activeness, fellow-feeling, compassion, politeness, fidelity, perseverance, co-operation, interdependence, integrity, diligence, obedience and magnanimity” that will make the 21 st century Nigerian societies corruption free (Okam, 2012:106 and Maududi, 1948 in Baffa, 2014:12). The above moral virtues are being inculcated into young history learners via an account of the Nigeria’s as well as Africa’s past, in order to help them fonder on and emulate them, not for eliciting the public praises, rather, for encouraging pro-social behaviour, empathy – related emotions, sharing, moral sensitivity and moral judgment in children, adolescents and adults who are the building – blocks of a corruption free societies, which will enable Nigeria withstand the challenges of the 21 st century. The concept of “history is a derivation from the Latin word ‘hisfona’, meaning what we know through inquiry” (Esebede, 2003 in Yusuf, 2017:67). History is defined as “the study of human actions and