President Bola Tinubu has ordered the reintroduction of history as a core subject in primary and secondary schools, starting from 2025.
The decision came as a response to criticisms that had trailed the apparent worsening disconnection of Nigerian youths from the repository of the nation’s cultural and historical heritage.
History as a subject has been downplayed and virtually removed or absent in Nigeria’s basic school curriculum.
This unsalutary trend has been on since 2007 and has created a yawning gap in learning.
This gap is about to be filled by the Tinubu administration.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the presidential directive during a televised interview on Channels TV.
He also noted that President Tinubu’s administration prioritised history’s reinstatement to revive civic values and foster national unity.
Moreover, Alausa expressed concerns about the generational disconnect caused by history’s removal.
“There are now Nigerians in their 30s who know little about our past. This is unheard of globally,” he said.
Furthermore, efforts to reintroduce history began in 2018 under former Education Minister Adamu Adamu, who initiated the training of 3,700 history teachers.
However, uneven implementation across states hindered full adoption.
State ministries of education, including Lagos and Taraba, have started aligning with the directive, paving the way for a nationwide rollout.
