Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has expressed grave concern over the decision to eliminate History from the country’s school curriculum, labeling it a colossal disaster.
Obasanjo voiced his concerns during his chairmanship of the public lecture at the Africa Methodist Council Heads of Conference Summit and Women’s Movement Leadership Summit. The federal government had previously decided to remove history studies from the curriculum of primary and secondary schools starting from the 2009/2010 academic year.
However, in 2019, the government reversed its decision and ordered the reintroduction of the subject.
Obasanjo strongly criticized the initial removal of the subject, likening it to “losing one’s memory.” He stated, “The idea that we shouldn’t teach history in our schools is absurd. It’s akin to losing one’s memory, which would be disastrous. I’m unsure of its origin. Some people seem to believe there are aspects of history we’d rather not confront.”
He continued, “Life is a mix of good and bad experiences. As you might be aware, I own a school, and we insist on teaching History correctly. Students can then choose what they wish to learn from it.”
Obasanjo emphasized the unique suffering of the black race through slavery, slave trade, and colonialism. He expressed concern over attempts in America to rewrite the narrative of the slave trade, stating, “Some people in America are now claiming that the slave trade is a myth – that both whites and blacks migrated to the Caribbean in pursuit of better opportunities. We were forcibly transported there as slaves. If we let this narrative stand, we risk being enslaved again, and we must not let that happen.”
He concluded by pledging his commitment to preserving the history of the slave trade, saying, “I have taken it upon myself to collaborate with others to keep the history of the slave trade alive. We must not let anyone deny the reality of the slave trade, and we must keep it at the forefront of our consciousness.”
