LEARNERS' CREATIVE MINDS AND HANDS DEVELOPMENT AS KEY IN SOLUTION-BASED SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

A paradigm shift in science education is fast evolving because of the 21st-century demand for sustainable development in Nigeria.This is a kind of demand that emphasises creativity, critical thinking, and practical problem-solving.This paper examined: importance of integrating creative minds and creative hands into science education through a solution-based approach.The problem of the global creativity indices and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mostly in quality education and innovation.Solution-based science education model for experiential learning, real-world experiences, problem solving and locally relevant application as skills to tackle pressing socio-economic and environmental problems.Some strategies like project-based learning, STEM/STEAM integration, makerspaces, and community science that could develop students' capacity to generate and implement innovative solutions.The paper also investigated the role of curriculum development, teacher retraining and infrastructural support in charging pedagogical shifts.Exhibitions that showcase schools and national programs that illustrate the potential of hands-on, inquiry-driven learning to foster resilience, civic responsibility and sustainable innovation.Creative skills in science education to nurture scientifically cultured citizens who may solve local and global problems.It concludes with policy and practice recommendations to provide sustenance to this educational transformation, stressing that developing learners' creative minds and hands is not only desirable but indispensable for attaining national progress and the SDGs.Therefore, science education