Nigeria, Oct. 14 -- An excess of history makes life wither and degenerate - Nietzsche

During the recent presentation of the book, Emirs of Zazzau: A Biographical Study (1808-2025), in Zaria, Professor Usman Bugaje made a compelling case for the imperative of historical knowledge. He reminded the audience of the indispensable need to study history if we are to understand our present and navigate our future.

His call echoes a familiar refrain heard across our public space: we must study history so that we do not repeat it. Yet, as the contemporary state of our country so vividly demonstrates, this moral maxim is flawed in its popular execution. Do we truly learn from history in Nigeria? Or do we absorb the past merely to stock an arsenal ...