The past, present and prognosis of history for better national trajectories in Nigeria

Abstract

The importance of History, even in a growing scientific world, has been gaining attention in most developed and developing countries. Unfortunately, Nigeria appears not to be fully in the league of the nations that value History; either as a subject or a social phenomenon. This paper therefore is another careful attempt to reassert the indispensability of historical lessons of the Past and Present in conjunction  with proper Prognosis for desirable trends in the development of Nigeria. The other aim for revisiting the study of History,  based on the templates of the Past, Present and Future, is to reawaken the importance of the subject for national survival. The paper therefore examines the reasons why the study and uses of History in Nigeria have suffered some setbacks even in the face of its  utilitarian values. Consequently, the paper significantly observes that, contrary to the perception that the digital era has overtaken the  values of History; the validity of scientific and digital tools is quite complementary and extremely supportive for the advancement of  historical studies. Accordingly, the paper emphasizes the need for historians, historiographers and history teachers to consider and align  the pedagogy for History with digital tools, in order to easily facilitate and enhance the functional values of the subject. Finally, it submits  that unless and until the government and the educational system fine-tune and give quality attention to the study and uses of History,  the Nigerian society at large would not only continue to suffer serious knowledge gaps from the Past and Present, but would be mostly  rudderless in the drive for discovering the pathway to a desirable future.