If you are asked what the origins of the Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa or Tiv people of Nigeria are, or what you know about the colonial history, civil war and military coups of Nigeria; will you be able to give an intelligent and accurate account of these events? Or are you one of those who think they are unimportant?
Some believe that having accurate facts about our history as a people is very important, and they are set to tell you about it.
Okiojo’s Chronicles
It is to answer questions like these that creators of Okiojo’s Chronicles created a comic book series that explore the history of the various ethnic groups that make up Nigeria, and also out of fear that the history of our dear country is at risk of being distorted or ignored altogether.
So far, three comics have been released; the first two delves into the origins of the Yoruba and Hausa people – two of the three major ethnic groups in the country – while the third depicts the oppression of the Benin Empire in present-day southern Nigeria by British colonists, which has remained controversial because the colonists took hundreds of bronze plaque artworks back to Europe, where many remain to this day in museums.
Is Nigerian History Still Being Taught?
Recent changes in curriculum mean that what little history students are taught today is merged with Civics lessons. Further, students, often aided by parents and guardians have been shown to have preference for courses they believe will land them money-making careers in banks, oil companies and other multi-national firms; hence, history education in classrooms is becoming scarce.
Also, with few popular history books on the shelves of bookstores, most young people learn about the country’s past from their parents or other family members – which historians believe can lead to a distorted and inaccurate perspective of events in Nigeria’s past, some of which have remained controversial, like the Nigerian Civil War.
Be an Astute Student of History Today!
Oriteme Banigo, Creator of Okiojo’s Chronicles speaks on why it is important for young people to learn about the country’s past:
If you just look at the past, if you look at when we started democracy, we seem to be making the same mistakes over and over again. But in our stories, we emphasise why this has happened, why we should remember it, and how we could stop ourselves from repeating the same mistakes in the future.
While Tunji Anjorin, Editor-in-Chief of the series, says the goal is to chronicle the histories of every single ethnic group in Nigeria so that a 10-year-old who grows up reading Okiojo’s Chronicles for 10 years would have read 40 different ethnic groups comics, and would have a better understanding of the people who make up Nigeria as a whole.
But not only these two men, writer and illustrator, Abraham Oshoko has released two installments of his five-part June 12 graphic novel series, which dramatises the events surrounding the annulled democratic election and military coup of 1993. Understanding that reading culture among the youth is at a low, he has used illustrations instead, to make the stories become more appealing and he believes that:
When Nigerians understand [their] own history, then they will begin to regain that nationalistic spirit that is currently at a very low ebb.
And we couldn’t agree more! So peeps, get reading!
This article was adapted from Chris Stein of usnews.com
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