THE USES OF HISTORY FOR DECISION MAKERS: A PATHWAY TO NATION- BUILDING IN NIGERIA

Aderemi BRITTO, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos
Olayemi OGUNNIYI, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State
Oluwadamilare Tosin ADEODU, ICON University of Management, Science and Technology

The paper examines how the uses of history might help governance in nation-building. Being a very hazardous task that requires a sense of direction, articulate and sound decision by those who govern or hope to do so, history and governance have featured prominently as a driving force in nation-building. It unveils that many decision makers or those who govern did not know any history to speak of and were unaware that decisions in the process of governance required a lot of reasoning. Similarly, it is also known that despite the lack of knowledge of the past, decision makers actually used history in their decisions, at least for advocacy or for comfort, whether they knew any or not. Beyond argument, the paper opines that the uses of history can stimulate imagination. Seeing the past can help one envision alternative futures, although analysis can also be used as an enemy of vision. The paper through a historical analytical methodology, interrogates major primary documents to examine activities of those who govern making use of history and how they do better for themselves in the process of nation-building. It concludes that the use of history will help those who govern develop working procedures to get more history used well in the process of governance as they preoccupied themselves with daily decisions and other aspects of management. Key words: History, Nation-building, Governance, Decisions,

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 Presented in Session 260. Constructing National Knowledges