The Federal Government has reintroduced Nigerian History as a compulsory subject in the basic education curriculum to strengthen national identity, unity, patriotism, and responsible citizenship.
In this report, some Nigerians hailed the government for taking such a decision.
Govt responding to people’s demand – Emmanuel Obe, journalist; Port Harcourt
It’s good in the sense that government is responding to the demands of the people. As it is said, people that don’t know their history are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past. However, it is not the reintroduction of history in the curriculum that matters. History is such a wide subject that it cannot be covered enough by any curriculum. Every subject and course of study in schools and universities embeds one form of history or the other. It is for this institutions and the society to produce leaders who look at the bigger and the common good. That’s what the country needs, not cosmetic reintroduction of history in schools.
It’s a welcome development, long overdue – Abraham Dukuma, media practitioner; Port Harcourt
It’s a welcome development and long overdue. My advice is that it must be based on verifiable facts and reliable accounts of the various facets of our multiethnic, multilingual, multi region, and diverse societal backgrounds, norms and values. It is also worthy of note that the federal government revisits the anomaly in the curriculum on religious studies, wherein Islam is promoted to be superior to Christianity; wherein there are derogatory comments on Jesus.
These offensive, vexatious and insulting portions must be expunged immediately in order to promote interreligious harmony, and most importantly, the secular status of Nigeria (without any state religion), as enshrined in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution must be upheld and respected.
It’s commendable – Otiogha Erowo, lecturer; Yenagoa
I applaud the federal government for the decision. The removal of the subject was an act of a people ashamed of themselves, and they don’t want others to know about them. It is a commendable restoration so that future generations should know their past heroes and the events that shaped the nation that they have inherited and it will propel them to take right actions because they know history shall tell of them.
It’s commendable – Dr Emmanuel Eweke, lecturer; Otuoke
The absence of this evaluative subject that helps to make us keep track of our actions as a nation has caused enormous problems for the constituents of the country. History that would have highlighted unity in diversity was jettisoned and the lines of divisions were heightened, causing unhealthy rivalry and competition amongst Nigerian peoples. The historical study of the peoples of the country would explicitly show that, there are fundamental linkages between various cultural groups through inter-ethnic marriages, trade relations, political engagements as well as religious affinities. This would no doubt enable them to see one another as partners in progress rather than enemies.
History had helped to mend fences by component parts of the country. This is possible as it will educate and enlighten people on issues that would continue to offend the sensibilities of others should they not be properly handed.
It could inspire a sense of nationalism – Prof Gabriel Nyityo, lecturer; Makurdi
I am particularly excited about the return of the subject at the basic school curriculum. The damage has been done and it will take quite a number of generations of professional historians to correct. History is now largely seen as a science and not a humanistic discipline. Unfortunately, this kind of posturing by historical scholars and educationists is not inspired by objective historical thinking. It has been imposed from outside -from policy makers at the National Universities Commission and from the social sciences. It is quite unfortunate. They challenge our methodologies, our periodisation and so on. Every one now has become his own self-styled historian. The damage is huge. It is only at the basic education curriculum that there is hope.
Perhaps, we could still use the opportunity to reclaim our role by passing simple stories to the very young people at the basic school level where the discipline could be more appropriately thought with tales, myths, legends and oral evidence. This no doubt could inspire in them a sense of nationalism.
The reintroduction is long overdue – Austin Onuoha, public analyst; Makurdi
The teaching and learning of history at that level shouldn’t have been banned in the first place because we are the stories we tell about ourselves.
Chinua Achebe said: “Those who do not know where the rain started beating them won’t know where they dry their bodies.” You must at every point in time know your past to be able to understand your present and project your future. But we have a nation that refuses to learn anything from our past.
For instance, Nigeria fought a civil war but if you talk about that war, it’s almost like sabotage. And the Nigerian Civil War has very unique characteristics. It is the first civil war where a peace agreement was signed before the war started – the Aburi Accord.
It is also a war that ended with a surrender document; not a peace agreement, and then the healing that was to go with the surrender to reintegrate Biafra into Nigeria has not happened till today and that is what is giving rise to IPOB agitation. We must tell ourselves who we are. So the reintroduction is long overdue and it’s good. The ban was not necessary in the first place. In fact if possible, history must be made a compulsory general studies from primary one to the final year in the university.
Bringing it back is good enough – Justin Imoudu, veteran journalist; Benin
Our children want to know how the nation got her independence. History is a fundamental course that is supposed to be taught not only in the junior secondary but also to higher secondary, because if you don’t know where you are coming from, you will not know where you are going.
If you don’t know the people that have moved your environment to a high level, you won’t know how to join them to take it to a higher height.
A time came in the history of Nigeria wherein some persons who thought they knew it too much or they wanted to hide facts from others, brought about the relegation of history in our curriculum because they were afraid that if it is exposed, their narratives will not be taken seriously.
Our younger ones want to know how their community fought wars or rebellions. They want to know how Nigeria got their independence. They want to know how the country was divided into three regions, four regions, and 12 states and so on and so forth. They want to know what led to the war between Nigeria and Biafra.
They want to know about the jihad in the north. If all these things are not well spelt out, the country will not move forward. You have to have a base to pull the fulcrum before you can lift high and high. What is the base for our growth? The base of our growth at a time was groundnuts, later cocoa, later palm oil, and before we started to talk about crude oil and all that. We want to know at what point we lost it all.
So, bringing it back is good enough. It came in a time in this country where the Department of History now became the Department of History and International Studies.
Greatest move yet made by this administration – Itietie Omojevwe, activist; Benin
This is the greatest decision this administration has ever made. The reintroduction of history in Nigerian schools is a commendable and laudable decision. Understanding our past is crucial for shaping our future. By learning about our heritage and identity, young Nigerians can appreciate the sacrifices made by their forebears and develop a sense of national pride.
The study of history will help in no small way to promote cultural awareness and understanding, encourage patriotism and national unity, provide valuable lessons from past mistakes and successes, inspire future leaders and change-makers
Moreover, learning about Nigeria’s history, including that of the civil war will help young people understand the importance of peace, tolerance, and unity.
It will also help them appreciate the efforts made to keep Nigeria as one and foster a sense of responsibility to contribute to the country’s progress.
And I think this is one of the greatest decisions this administration has ever made, when you don’t know where you are coming from, then you will hardly know where you are headed.
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