Why Nation-building Has Remained Elusive In Nigeria – Don

Professor Salihu Lawal yesterday said the relegation of history, as a component of transmitting the right values from one generation to another, has hampered true nation building in Nigeria.

He made this assertion yesterday during the 22nd Inaugural lecture of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, titled “History, Mirror of the Society: The More You Look, The More You See.”

Lawal, a professor of Economics and Political History, said the neglect of history by the citizens and the nation has set the country at a crossroads, adding that the people have little knowledge of their history both as members of community and the nation.

The professor advocated for the reintroduction of history to enhance unity, cohesion, integration and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.

He said the deliberate suffocation of the teaching of history at primary and secondary school levels is invariably affecting the discipline at the tertiary level.

The don further linked the near hopelessness in the state of socio economic and political development to lack of the knowledge of history which, he said, plays a pivotal role in strengthening the unity and progress of the country.

According to him, “irrespective of the challenges confronting the Nigeria people and the nation, hope is not lost in building a nation where citizens shall be bound in unity and faith, peace and progress in line with the motto of our nation”.

Meanwhile, the vice chancellor Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, Professor Abu Kasim Adamu, applauded Professor Lawal for his lecture.

Professor Kasim Adamu stated that the topic of the lecture, “History, Mirror of the Society: The More You Look, The More You See” is timely especially now that there’s a lot of clarion calls to bring back history subjects into the educational curriculum in the country.