History Is Knocking: Memory as Weapon; Will Nigeria Lift the Shield or March Blind into Repetition?

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“REMEMBER or REPEAT; Nigeria’s future depends on whether we choose MEMORY over AMNESIA.”

Nigeria lives in the long shadow of its past. The country that emerged on October 1, 1960 (radiant with promise, vast in diversity and rich in human and natural resources) has been repeatedly battered by choices made in the present that forget the LESSONS of HISTORY. To treat history as a dusty archive is to hand the future to forces that thrive on collective amnesia. Corruption, impunity, ethnic manipulation and policy myopia. If memory is indeed a weapon, Nigeria’s survival depends on whether its citizens and leaders are brave enough to wield it. {Independence – Oct 1, 1960; sources on Nigeria’s founding and constitutional arc.}

We must first admit a simple fact, MEMORY is POLITICAL. Who remembers and how we remember shapes power. Chinua Achebe’s blunt admonition remains essential: “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” That line is not mere literary flourish (it is a diagnosis. When state narratives elevate rulers and erase victims, justice withers and policy becomes propaganda. The Nigerian story has repeatedly seen official versions triumph over inconvenient truths, coups sanitised as necessary correctives; economic mismanagement repackaged as temporary sacrifice; violence rationalised as inevitable. Reclaiming national memory means restoring the histories of those sidelined) the poor farmer whose land was drained by a policy he never consented to, the activists whose warnings were ignored, the communities displaced by avoidable violence.

Concrete reminders of what happens when memory is abandoned are stark. The Nigerian Civil War -1967/1970- (a human catastrophe that cost hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of lives) was not simply a regional conflict but a national wound born of ethnic fear, political exclusion and resource competition. Its lessons (the cruelty of blockades; the human cost of political exclusion; the fragility of a federation without trust) must be institutionalized (memorials, properly funded history curricula, and truth-telling commissions) lest the CYCLE REPEAT. The facts are not negotiable, the war’s dates and the scale of the suffering remain foundational to any honest national narrative.

Similarly, the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election (a moment that exposed the rot of military patronage and elite collusion) should be taught, commemorated and used as a political touchstone. The denial of that mandate left a generational scar on civic trust that still influences political behaviour. Commemoration is not mere ritual; it is a political act that says to society that WE REMEMBER INJUSTICE and we will not let it be normalized.

The cost of forgetting is measurable. Recent independent assessments show Nigeria wrestling with alarming socio-economic indicators and poverty levels that remain staggeringly high and a public sector reputation stained by pervasive corruption. The World Bank has documented deep and growing numbers of people pushed into poverty in the last decade; Transparency International places Nigeria low on its Corruption Perceptions Index, indicating that impunity remains a major structural problem. When governance is short-term and amnesic (leaders failing to heed past policy failures) outcomes weaken and ordinary citizens pay with hunger, displacement and lost opportunity. These are not abstract metrics; they are human lives.

Memory must therefore be institutional, not episodic. Plaques and occasional speeches are insufficient. Real memory requires three pillars: TRUTHFUL EDUCATION, TRANSPARENT ARCHIVES and CIVIC RITUALS that bind people across ethnicity and region. Our schools must teach the hard chapters honestly and not only triumphs but THE BETRAYALS, THE CORRUPTION SCANDALS, THE PROTEST MOVEMENTS and THE POLICY MISTAKES. National archives must be accessible; public records preserved and digitized; commissions set up to investigate and publish findings on major national failures. Finally, CIVIC RITUALS (memorial days, inclusive commemorations of struggle, and public dialogue) will stitch individual memory into national consciousness. Without these pillars, memory remains a private act rather than a public defence. (On curriculum and archival reform: see international best practice and calls from civil-society scholars.)

Of course, memory alone is not a magic cure. It is useful only insofar as it leads to accountability and reform. Remembering the Civil War without addressing the economic and political grievances that fuelled it is a hollow exercise. Honouring June 12 without institutional safeguards for electoral integrity is symbolic theatre. Therefore, memory must feed mechanisms of justice: judicial independence, anti-corruption agencies that work, robust investigative journalism and empowered parliaments that exercise meaningful oversight. Where memory prompts policy changes (land reform, fiscal transparency, inclusive governance) it becomes a true weapon of collective defence.

Voices from Nigeria’s intellectual tradition demand no less. Wole Soyinka has repeatedly insisted that nations must “CONFRONT HISTORY HONESTLY”, a call that is both MORAL and STRATEGIC. Honest confrontation means naming perpetrators, acknowledging errors and creating institutional constraints that prevent recurrence. It also means cultivating a civic culture where criticism is not criminalized but welcomed as necessary oxygen for democracy. These are not soft ideals; they are practical steps proven in democracies that have moved from trauma to stability.

There is also resistance. ELITES BENEFIT WHEN THE PAST IS BLURRED. For them, selective memory is a shield. They confect myths of inevitability (that corruption is the price of unity, that emergency decrees are love letters to stability) hoping citizens will forget the alternatives. Combatting this requires an active civil society and media that refuse co-option. Independent journalism, civic education programs and grassroots truth-telling gatherings must be supported. Funding channels that promote investigative reporting and community-based history projects are investments that pay dividends in accountability. Recent reporting and investigations have already exposed the consequences of policy amnesia; food crises compounded by poor planning, infrastructure projects announced without follow-through, fiscal policies that punish the poor. These reports must be amplified, protected and acted upon.

Finally, memory is a democratic practice. It invites ordinary citizens into the national conversation and makes them custodians of truth. The young, who form a majority of Nigeria’s population, must be handed accessible narratives; not SACCHARINE PATRIOTISM, but GRITTY STORIES of how institutions failed and how citizens fought back. When young people inherit a robust, critical memory, they will be less likely to accept cynical elites and easier to mobilize for honest reform. When elders pass down TRUTHFUL, PLURALISTIC HISTORIES rather than PAROCHIAL MYTHS, the nation’s shield grows stronger.

History is knocking. Will Nigeria lift the shield or continue marching blind into repetition? The answer depends on whether we choose to remember with courage and act with conviction. Memory without action is nostalgia; action without memory is recklessness (together and through honest education, open archives, public commemoration and accountable institutions) Nigeria can turn memory into a lasting defence. The choice is ours. If we embrace it, the next generation may finally inherit more than rhetoric: a nation that remembers, reforms and rises.

– George Omagbemi Sylvester

AASU Honours Dr. Saheed Mosadoluwa as Beacon of Hope for Africa’s Development

It was a moment of pride, recognition, and inspiration in Lagos on Thursday, 9th October 2025, as the All-Africa Students’ Union (AASU) honoured Hon. (Dr.) Saheed Mosadoluwa Audullahi, the Chairman and CEO of Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Limited, with the 2025 Africa Leadership Award.

The colourful investiture ceremony, themed “Reawakening Our Consciousness as Africa’s Next Generation,” was held on Friday, 26th September, 2025, at a high-profile event in Lagos, Nigeria. Mr Ibile was however not available to attend the programme but the team visited his office on Thursday for the official conferment and presentation of the AASU ALL OF FAME AWARD.

The leadership of AASU described Dr. Mosadoluwa, fondly known as Mr. Ibile, as a “Beacon of Hope for Africa’s Development”. AASU ALL OF FAME AWARD, applauding his unwavering commitment to nation-building, youth empowerment, and human capacity development across the continent.

In a solidarity address delivered by the leadership of AASU, the Union extolled the Harmony Gardens CEO as “an apostle of positive change and an iconic leader per excellence who continues to stand tall among his peers.”

“We are gathered here to celebrate a true patriot of this great continent who has impacted positively on our generation. Dr. Saheed Mosadoluwa is not just a successful entrepreneur; he is a mentor, a nation-builder, and a champion of educational growth and youth empowerment,” the Union noted.

The AASU delegation emphasized that the honour was in recognition of Dr. Mosadoluwa’s contribution to the development of education, infrastructure, and leadership within Africa, ideals that align with the Union’s mission since its establishment in 1972.

According to the Union, “Our organization exists to drive growth in education and health across Africa through strategic developmental programmes. Leaders like Dr. Mosadoluwa embody the vision of a progressive Africa where youth are empowered and equipped to take charge of the future.”

The statement further charged African governments and private institutions to emulate Dr. Mosadoluwa’s leadership model, describing him as “a man who understands and embodies the core values and aspirations of the youth.”

Dr. Saheed Mosadoluwa, who has consistently championed community development through his company Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Ltd, continues to receive accolades both locally and internationally for his humanitarian efforts and entrepreneurial excellence.

The event ended with a resounding ovation, as delegates, students, and guests hailed the real estate mogul as a symbol of integrity, hope, and transformational leadership for Africa’s next generation.

Ogun Trains Over 30,000 Skilled Youths, Launches Job Hubs Across Three Senatorial Districts

In another stride toward building a knowledge-driven economy, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has commissioned the Ogun Job Centre and Work Hub at the Government Science and Technical College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, a milestone initiative that reinforces the State’s commitment to connecting skills with opportunities and preparing citizens for the future of work.

Represented by his Deputy, Engr. (Mrs.) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the Governor described the initiative as a practical expression of his administration’s vision to build a vibrant economy driven by skilled, confident, and self-reliant citizens. She noted that the centre would serve as a convergence point for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and artisans to access career guidance, entrepreneurship support, and employment opportunities.

Governor Abiodun explained that similar centres in Ijebu-Ode and Ota are already operational, with plans to establish one Job Centre in each of the State’s 20 Local Government Areas. He said the initiative forms part of a long-term vision to institutionalize a system that promotes job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic growth for all residents of Ogun State.

Implemented through the Ogun State Skills Fund (OSF) under the World Bank–supported Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), and supported by the Governments of Germany and Switzerland through GIZ, the facility is designed as a one-stop hub providing job-matching services, modern CV clinics, business advisory sessions, and technical training for young people and artisans across the State.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor and Chairman, OGSTEP Steering Committee, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, said the Job Centre represents another major step in linking human capital development to the State’s economic growth agenda. According to him, while the Job Centres connect job seekers with employers, the Work Hubs provide artisans, apprentices, and master craftsmen with access to shared modern tools and workspaces that enhance productivity and innovation.

In her remarks, the OGSTEP Project Coordinator, Mrs. Mosunmola Owo-Odusi, disclosed that over 30,000 skilled workers have been trained in various trades under the Ogun Skills Fund initiative in the past two years, with more than 10,000 already improving their earnings through self-employment and microenterprise growth. She explained that the newly opened job hubs in Abeokuta, Ota, and Ijebu-Ode are equipped with state-of-the-art tools and serve as links between skilled labour and employers seeking qualified hands.