JOSUGA: JOS JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES

This paper interrogates the relationship between factual content and stylistic form in Nigerian historical scholarship, challenging the longstanding assumption that historical writing must adopt a neutral, objective tone to be considered rigorous. It argues that language and style are not mere vessels for transmitting historical truth but are central to the construction, interpretation, and reception of historical knowledge. The study employs the qualitative research methodology, drawing on examples from both academic and vernacular traditions, including the works of Nigerian historians, oral narratives, and culturally embedded storytelling practices. The paper aims to explore how stylistic experimentation can deepen historical insight, broaden audience engagement, and reflect indigenous epistemologies. It also examines the institutional and epistemic constraints that discourage stylistic innovation, such as colonial legacies, academic gatekeeping, and the privileging of Eurocentric modes of narration. In proposing a more pluralistic approach to historical form, the paper advocates for an expanded methodological imagination that embraces linguistic diversity, indigenous expressive forms, and reflexive narrative strategies. Ultimately, it calls for a rethinking of scholarly conventions to make Nigerian historiography more inclusive, dynamic, and responsive to its own cultural and intellectual contexts. 

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