The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Salisu Shehu, has stressed that a sound knowledge of History plays a critical role in shaping and influencing the future of any society.
Prof. Shehu made the assertion while speaking at a public lecture titled “The Return of History in Nigerian Schools: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,” organised by the Faculty of History and Development Studies, Bayero University, Kano.
According to him, History explains how past events shape the present and how present actions, in turn, determine the future.
“History is about the past, how the past shapes the present, and how the present influences the future,” he said, adding that the subject provides societies with the understanding required to make informed decisions and sustain development.
Reiterating the importance of History in education, Prof. Shehu, who served as Chairman of the occasion, described the discipline as inseparable from humanity and development, stressing that it should remain a core component of the school curriculum at appropriate levels.
He explained that History encompasses societal norms, values, cultures, traditions, and civilizations, making it essential for national identity and cohesion.
Prof. Shehu further disclosed that under the new curriculum developed by NERDC, History will be taught as a stand-alone subject at the Primary School 1–6 and Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1–3 levels.
He added that at the Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1–3 levels, History will be infused and integrated into compulsory subjects such as Citizenship and Heritage Studies.
The lecture, held at the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue, Bayero University New Campus, Kano, featured Dr. Nanre Nafziger of McGill University, Montreal, Canada, as the Guest Speaker.
Other key participants at the event included Prof. Isaac Ediba, Vice President (North-East) of the Historical Society of Nigeria, and Prof. Aisha Shehu, who served as discussants.