The Importance of Knowing Our Past: Lawmakers Push for Full Implementation of History in Schools
The push for History’s full reintegration into Nigerian school curricula has gained renewed momentum, with advocates emphasizing its crucial role in shaping national identity and civic awareness. By securing proper funding, training teachers, and ensuring oversight, History education can equip young Nigerians with a deeper understanding of their heritage and the complexities of their nation’s past, ultimately informing their present and future.
By Ejiro Umukoro
Abuja, Nigeria – Hon. O. K. Chinda has urged the Federal Ministry of Education to fully implement the reintroduction of History as a standalone and compulsory subject in primary and junior secondary schools across the country. This call to action was made in a recent resolution by the House of Representatives, where Hon. Chinda emphasized the importance of History in nation-building, civic awareness, and the preservation of national identity, values, and culture.
The lawmaker noted that despite the reintroduction of History in 2019, the subject is still not being adequately implemented in many schools due to a lack of trained teachers, poor funding, and inadequate teaching materials. This, he said, has contributed to a widespread lack of understanding among younger generations about Nigeria’s past, its heroes, struggles, and socio-political evolution, resulting in increased ignorance, misinformation, and intolerance.
Hon. Chinda pointed out that countries around the world teach their history not only to instill patriotism but also to provide young people with critical thinking skills, context for current affairs, and a sense of belonging and purpose. He recalled that the National Council on Education had directed the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to work towards the full reintegration of History into the curriculum at all levels of basic education.
Given the importance of History in shaping the nation’s future, the House of Representatives resolved to urge the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with State Ministries of Education and NERDC, to fully implement the reintroduction of History as a standalone and compulsory subject. The House also called on the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) to include funding for History education in their intervention programs and teacher development plans.
Furthermore, the House mandated the Committees on Basic Education and Legislative Compliance to ensure adequate oversight of the implementation process, including teacher training, curriculum review, and provision of learning materials. By taking these steps, the House aims to ensure that History is given the importance it deserves in the Nigerian school curriculum, and that young Nigerians are equipped with a deeper understanding of their country’s past and its relevance to their present and future.
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