Oserhiema Osadolor, a Professor of History, University of Benin, has advocated for the prioritisation of history in Nigerian educational curricula, emphasising its role as an essential tool for nation-building.
Osadolor gave the advice at a lecture titled “History and Nation-Building” held at the Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba auditorium, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), on Monday.
He explained that the study of history is an intellectual pursuit and activity of the reassuring mind with the main essence of analysing and explaining problems in the past.
The don said historians see patterns that others may not see and provide a crucial perspective for understanding and solving current problems.
Osadolor said the concept of nation-building was to establish trusted institutions of government, diplomacy, finance, taxation, law, civil rights and liberties.
He added that the concept of nation-building in the modern state, as interpreted by the historian, is the determination of efforts to enhance the capacity of development and integration.
The don noted that the woes happening to nations, especially in Africa, are the effects of neglecting the study of history.
“History is very important for us to know why things are the way they are. Historians will need to explore the theoretical context of nation-building in Africa.
“It is because the past teaches us about the past, teaches us about the present; this provides a crucial perspective for understanding and solving problems that we are having challenges with.
“There is no peace in Nigeria today because we neglect the teaching of history,” he said.
Osadolor noted that the responsibility of history and historians was to tell the facts, which means that the facts must be collated carefully and shown as they really happened.
He, however, urged the participants and Africans at large to see nation-building first, as a deliberate process in enhancing the capacity of the state for infrastructural development that can only be achieved through the understanding of one’s history.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, applauded the vision of the organisers of the lecture and particularly chose the theme “History and Nation -building”.
Ogunwole said the discourse would not have come at a better time, given the numerous problems bedevilling Nigeria.
The vice chancellor promised that the university would always support meaningful academic enterprise that would add value to the university community and contribute to a national discourse for a better Nigeria.