Can Anything Good Come Out of History?

About the BookCan Anything Good Come Out of History? is a collection of fourteen Lectures and Papers on Nigerian History, spread over the years 1977 to 2013. Like his earlier book - History, The Historian and The Nation, The Voice of a Nigerian Historian, the burden of the lectures put together in this book is to demonstrate that History is not the useless discipline it is so often portrayed to be in our nation: that Nigeria and all her component entities, and the loyalties attached to them are products of History; that whether we realise it or not, it is History that provides that understanding of our country's multifarious peoples and their cultures which is so crucial for peaceful co-existence.

We need the knowledge which only History can provide to enable us overcome ethnic prejudice and arrogance, as well as enable us promote an attitude of "live and let live." History may not prepare those who study it for a specific profession, perhaps that is why our nation has, for so many years, neglected the promotion of the study of Nigerian History, as well as the history of other lands. Through the Lectures and Papers put together in this book, the author makes bold to declare - like another historian had done years back - that History, more than virtually every other subject, provides the knowledge for effective participation in the most crucial profession of all - that profession in which we all must be involved - THE PROFESSION OF CITIZENSHIP. That is the value of this collection of Lectures and Papers on Nigerian History which is in your hands. Read, ponder over what you read, and then proceed to answer the question which constitutes the main title of the book, namely, Can Anything Good Come Out of History?

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"The book provides the background to the author's life-long campaigns and that of the Association of African Universities and the Historical Society of Nigeria, for the indispensable values and relevance of history in nation building. The book points out that with eyes fixed on technological advancement, many are tempted to believe that History is no longer relevant to the present world. This is erroneous. History is a major instrument in policy making and has to be conscientiously made to perform that task by being studied, understood and applied."

---Bakar Usman, D. Litt., M. IoD, OON


"The central argument in this impressive collection by Professor Obaro Ikime, an extraordinary scholar of conscience and a living legend, is the relevance of history to the nation-building project and trauma in Nigeria. Grounded in over half a century of practical experience, deep maturity, responsible scholarship, and intense passion, profound perspectives emerge on Nigeria and Nigerianisation in the larger context of Europeanisation, westernisation, and globalisation. . . Ikime's thematic approach combined with the subtle emphasis on stability and progress will appeal to a new generation of students. The dramatic subject provides the requisite ground for scholarly debate, and the author's vivid style makes it a pleasure to read."

---Toyin Falola, University Distinguished and Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, The University of Texas at Austin.