ATTAINMENT OF OBJECTIVITY IN HISTORY: THE VEHICLE TO NATIONAL UNITY AND NATION BUILDING IN NIGERIA

Attainment of objectivity in history: The vehicle to national unity and nation building in Nigeria is an attempt to highlight the efficacy of writing history the way they are without prejudice or bias which enhances national unity and nation building. Considering the fact that, coherent continuity in any relationship is built upon the foundation of trust and trust is guaranteed by fact, is a clear indication that, attainment of objectivity in history will close the gap of suspicion among different tribes in Nigeria, hence truth is presented at the highest table of discourse. This paper emphasizes the need for objectivity in historiography for the attainment of a true national unity and nation building in Nigeria. It contends that, attainment of national unity and nation building has posed an intractable challenge to the country. This is notwithstanding her possession of abundant natural and human resources. The paper further argued that, successive governments in Nigeria have become victim of the challenge because of unprofessional/unskilled writers and some government correspondence accounting of historical work in an inaccurate way which facilitates disunity and unproductiveness among Nigerians. With the use of qualitative method of secondary and primary sources, the paper submitted that, in spite of the difficulties associated with objectivity in history, the study revealed that, objectivity could be achieved with the application of prescribed steps that would become a catalyst to national unity and nation building in Nigeria.

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