Ani, Uchenna S. Ph.D., MHSN
Department of History and Strategic Studies,
Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Nigeria
uchennaani05@yahoo.com
and
Ezeonwuka Innocent-Franklyn O. Ph.D., MHSN
Department of History International Studies
Godftrey Okoye University, Enugu, Nigeria
egbuacho@gmail.com , +2348033096134


ABSTRACT
For post-literate, pre-literate and illiterate societies; from the earliest time up to the contemporary
period, history has continued to inform, equip and drive humanity through the vicissitudes of life
on earth. Pre-dating man and very much in consonance with time, history not only “breathe”, but
constantly bequeathson the living innumerable lessons and a wide array of reasonable
alternatives, thereby accentuating the minimization of faults and hazardous risks. The importance
of history for the “Nigerian Country” in its strides towards catching up with the blazing 21st
Century global developmental trends, is simply beyond textbook analysis. However, since
history is simply larger than life, the study in trying to explain the pathological condiments that
give history its identity and form, undertook the pains of examining the subject matter vis-à-vis
Nigeria’s intended national cohesion and development through the multi-dimensional prism.
With history, tomorrow has just began.
Key words: History, Reconstruction, Historiography, Identity
56
56
Introduction
This discourse cannot easily flow without due consideration of what history really is. Attempts at
giving meaning to what constitutes history, the nature and content of history and the proper
definition of history may either miniaturize the subject matter or expose the great pessimism,
ignorance and emptiness prevalent even in the psyche of many Nigerian elites. Since mere
storytelling is not history, and because recounting of incidents in the past is equally not history,
(Carr: 1961) declared that history cannot go anywhere if, in its study, we have no sense of the
future. It is the history that stretches along the entire process, providing a useful link between the
past, present and the future, rather than a mere dialogue between past and present.History is ongoing dialogue between the events of the past and progressively emerging future ends. By
implication, it is an aphorism to state that history bothers itself with the past, present and future
circumstances in the light of their connectivity. Suffice it to equally say that the concept of
history oscillates on an acknowledged stored essential knowledge, constantly fed through the
interactive forces of the human society and the physical environment. Since every human draws
from this common pool, and equally contributes in growing and sustaining it, everyone in one
way or another is a historian. One must be cautions at this juncture in so much as the art of
historical writing and consideration insists on strict compliance with the tenets of certain
professional guidelines, hence all information must follow certain sequence before being adopted
and classified as History. History is factual.
Why History?
Since history has proved to be the repository of human knowledge which presupposes by
implication in its omnipresent structure, whether irritating, dejected, derived, avoided or desired,
remains as an existential force, acquired, stored and transmitted in each field of study, hence
Environmental history, Marine history, legal history, military history, among others.
Consequently, the importance of history to any nation stems from the people’s need and
attraction to credible and factual information, which when digested and synthesized, provides
error-proof decisions and clues. The evolutionary transformations involved in the intricate
process of nation building is simply driven by human knowledge and common sense. It is only in
the warehouse of history that the necessary intellectual resource that would spur and project
state-craftry to the next level of development is embedded. The value of history is neither in its
57
57
exciting imageries and exploits nor in its ‘boos’ and ‘woos’, but in the convoluted intrigues and
dominant manifestations of selfish interests, common sense, fact, skill, bravado and subtleness
emergent and played out by man.
Rowse, an Oxford Historian has observed with great concern that:
Great has been the conquests of natural science in our time – such
that many think of ours as a scientific age par excellence. It is even
more urgent and necessary that advances should be made in the
social sciences if we are to gain control of the forces of nature
loosed upon us (Rowse; 1962).
The above observation is not intended to disparage the many milestone achievements of the
technological and computer age, but fully aware of these marvelous and stupendous
achievements, it is pertinent to note that ‘we stand to perish by our scientific marvels if we fail to
make advances in the social sciences and thereby use our scientific knowledge wisely (Eluwa,
1980:14). Dedicated towards studying both the done and undone human and environmental
happenings of the past vis a vis the basic goal of the human society,history remains crucial as one
of the pivotal social sciences to which advances should be made for adequate control of the
vagaries of our natural existence. By unveiling what man had projected and achieved in the past,
or at what and where he had failed, history can shed enormous light on planning and execution,
particularly in the area of Nigeria’s national development.
At this juncture, this study deems it worthwhile to enumerate certain apparent benefits derivable
from the study of history, before aggregating its many beneficial indices to Nigeria’s growth and
development.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *