Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has criticised Nigeria’s reintroduced history curriculum, describing it as “mediocre and pedestrian.” The federal government recently made history a compulsory subject in basic education to strengthen national identity.
In a post on X, Rhodes-Vivour said the syllabus failed to meet such ambitions, arguing that history should be used as a tool for nation-building. He warned that teaching outdated colonial narratives such as “Mungo Park discovered River Niger” would leave students unmotivated.
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He urged curriculum designers to take lessons from countries like China and the United States, which have used history to build a stronger sense of identity. He also cited global figures such as Mansa Musa, whose voyages impacted world trade and could help students connect Nigeria’s past to broader global events.
According to him, the ultimate goal of teaching history should be to inspire pride, critical thinking, and a sense of belonging among young Nigerians, rather than recycling narrow and outdated accounts.
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