Controversial History Text Raises Questions About National Unity and Cohesion
A wave of public outrage has followed the emergence of a controversial history textbook, Living History, recently disowned by the Federal Government over allegations that it omitted the Igbo people—one of Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups—from its narrative.
The controversy comes at a critical moment, as History, which was removed from Nigeria’s school curriculum in the 2009/2010 academic session due to declining student interest, is being reintroduced to help young learners understand the nation’s past, identity, and collective journey. It is therefore deeply troubling that a book presented as Nigerian history would allegedly exclude a people so central to that history.
Although the Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that the book was never approved for use in Nigerian secondary schools, the attempt by its authors cannot simply be ignored or dismissed.
The omission of the Igbo people from any historical account of Nigeria is not a minor oversight. Any publication that claims to document Nigeria’s history while excluding the Igbo is either intellectually dishonest or deliberately malicious.
For decades, the Igbo have played an undeniable role in Nigeria’s economic growth, commercial vitality, educational advancement, and national development. From entrepreneurship and industry to academia, nationalism, and nation-building, Igbo contributions are woven into the very fabric of the Nigerian state.
To present Nigeria’s history without the Igbo narrative is to distort historical truth, miseducate young learners, and promote a dangerous culture of exclusion—particularly at a time when history is being restored to classrooms to correct past gaps in knowledge.
While the Federal Government has rightly distanced itself from the book, the authors must still be held morally accountable. Writing history is not a casual exercise; it is a responsibility that demands balance, inclusiveness, and respect for all constituent parts of the nation.
This issue goes beyond a single publication. It raises serious concerns about the subtle danger of normalising the erasure of a people whose only “offence” is their existence and contributions to national life.
Allowing such materials to circulate—approved or not—poses a threat to national unity, as they risk planting seeds of resentment, alienation, and historical falsehood in young minds.
As the debate continues, there are increasing calls for stricter scrutiny of educational materials and for authors to uphold the highest standards of truth, fairness, and professionalism when documenting Nigeria’s collective history.
One fact remains incontestable: Nigeria’s story cannot be told without the Igbo people, and any attempt to do so must be firmly condemned in the interest of truth, justice, and national cohesion.
Oluchi Oparah
Former National Treasurer
Labour Party
