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Nigeria Lacks Institutional Memory – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented Nigeria’s lack of institutional memory, attributing this to the absence of well-documented records, which has led to a loss of historical consciousness. Obasanjo made these remarks during a virtual address at the 70th birthday book lecture and the launch of his biography, *Against All Odds*, written by Nyaknno Osho, held in Abuja over the weekend.
Speaking via Zoom, Obasanjo, a former military general, emphasized the importance of record-keeping in preserving the past, capturing the present, and inspiring the future. “The thing that we don’t do well in this country is our ability to keep records well. This is one problem that Nyaknno wanted to correct all along. He did a bit of that for me when he worked with me as the democratically elected president,” Obasanjo said.
He warned that failing to maintain records is akin to losing a sense of history, which can have dire consequences. “When you lose a sense of history, you lose your memory, which can lead to calamity. When we keep records, we keep our memories intact. I commend and congratulate Nyaknno for the book, and I tell him, ‘more grease to his elbow.’ According to the title of the book, he battled so many odds to write it,” Obasanjo added.
Nyaknno Osho, the author, took the opportunity to urge the Federal Government to complete the abandoned national library in Abuja and to reintroduce history as a subject in the school curriculum. Reflecting on his unfulfilled dreams, the 70-year-old librarian expressed his desire to see Nigeria reach its full potential as a nation. “What will be my unfulfilled dream would be to see Nigeria become a big country. I want to see the government change the policy of removing history from our school curriculum. I will be glad if they return history as a subject in schools,” Osho stated.
He also highlighted the importance of biographies in capturing the true essence of individuals, noting that “you only hear the glory, not the story, and the story of a man is in his own biography.” Osho, who worked with Obasanjo for 25 years as a technocrat, praised the former president for always seeking information and underscored his own lifelong commitment to record-keeping and information management.
Despite his age, Osho remains active, having visited over 550 libraries worldwide. He reiterated his call for the completion of the national library and emphasized the need for governmental support to enhance information management in the country.
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PANDEF Clarifies Visit To Tinubu, Knocks Wike Over Inflammatory Comments

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to retract his publicly disparaging remarks made recently against the socio-political body.
PANDEF described as regrerrable and embarrassing comments by Wike in the aftermath of the group’s visit to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, even to the extent of insulting the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin.
Recall that the FCT minister had, on Thursday, during a media chat, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.
In a statement signed by PANDEF Chairman on Saturday in Abuja, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, urged President Tinubu as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent.
Igali clarified that the meeting with the president provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. Adding that “PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region.”
His words: ^To set the record straight, PANDEF the foremost socio-political body representing the South-South regions, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities. The delegation to Mr. President included chairpersons of at least four of the six SouthSouth states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the Senate, prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and high-ranking retired military officers.
“It is, therefore, highly regrettable and totally unacceptable that a serving minister in the Federal Government would exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing. This attitude perhaps explains his continued refusal of the Minister to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024, despite repeated attempts to reach.
“The Honourable Minister (Wike) characterized PANDEF as the worst organization ever” and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors. These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.
“PANDEF hereby calls upon Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent Nigerians and traditional rulers who were, after all, esteemed guests of the Commander-in-Chief. It is apt to remind that the Minister does not own the Niger-Delta and his errant conduct should not be condoned.
“Notwithstanding this regrettable development, PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region,” Igali stated.
On efforts to restore peace in River State, Igali restated PANDEF’s commitment for peace in the oil-rich State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the Rivers State crisis,” Igali stated.
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