Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Monday said that the future of a Nigeria that works regardless of religion or ethnicity depends on full and accurate knowledge of the nation’s histories.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this at the inauguration of the Nigeria History Fund by the James Adekunle Ojelabi Foundation.
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande stated that the fund is dedicated to, among other things, supporting history students with a scholarship scheme.
He said although the reintroduction of history into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools across the country last year by the Federal Government received a commendation from many, the decision was not just borne out of the need to restore the subject in schools but in recognition of its contribution to the socio-political, economic and cultural development of Nigeria.
According to him, “when the Federal Government decided to reintroduce history into the curriculum across primary and secondary schools last year, it was a decision borne out of the recognition that first our children must know where they are coming from and have an understanding of the life that preceded them.
“History is far too essential for us to deprioritise. It encourages us as individuals to not restrict ourselves to thinking in the short-term but to remember that we too are living histories. “We cannot sure-footedly chart a course forward without understanding where we are coming from. Vision is important but so too is memory.
Nation-building requires us to develop both faculties of imagination and remembrance. Indeed, this stewardship of national memory is a cardinal civic obligation. “The future of a Nigeria that works for all of us, regardless of religion or ethnicity, depends on full and accurate knowledge of our histories.”
Speaking on the role of history in harnessing Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity, Osinbajo said the nation’s diversity as a unique strength for promoting national development would not be realized without a thorough understanding of its different cultural practices and social norms which are embedded in history.