 I am honored by this invitation to join you all this afternoon to commemorate the first anniversary of the James Adequaleo Jelabi Foundation and to inaugurate the Foundation's Nigeria History Fund. My brother and friend Pastor Jelabi and the other visioners of this foundation deserve our commendation and our congratulations. When the federal government decided to reintroduce history into the curriculum across primary and secondary schools last year, it was a decision born out of the recognition that first our children must know where they are coming from and have an understanding of the life that preceded them. History is far too essential for us to de-prioritize. It encourages us as individuals to not restrict ourselves to thinking in the short term, but to remember that we too are living histories. Second, that we cannot sure-footedly chart a course forward without understanding where we are coming from. Vision is important, but so too is memory. Nation building requires us to develop both faculties of imagination and remembrance. Historians and all of us who answer the call to interrogate the past bear a special responsibility as custodians of national memory. Indeed, this stewardship of national memory is a cardinal civic obligation. So the importance of recollection is embedded in our national anthem which asserts and I quote that the labors of our hero's past shall never be in vain, end of wood. Obviously this imposes a burden on us to remember and study those labors and memorialize the lives of the heroes that accomplish them. Knowing that we are standing on the shoulders of giants is crucial to national and individual self-esteem. Also, our diversity as a nation is a unique strength. However, we cannot realize the full potential of this strength without a thorough understanding of the different cultural practices and social norms that make up the mosaic of our nationhood. The future of Nigeria that works for all of us regardless of religion or ethnicity depends on a full and accurate knowledge of our histories. We are blessed to belong to a nation that possesses such a rich history of art, of technology, of trade, of political administration, among many fields of human endeavor. But this bountiful inheritance is often under-explored and under-appreciated. History is a vast reservoir of cultural, spiritual and social capital waiting to be mined by a generation that will not neglect the ancient landmarks of our odyssey as a people. Whilst our ethnic diversity, as I pointed out, is a great strength, one of the biggest challenges to national building is this same ethno-religious diversity which can also engender detrimental social conflict as we've seen all in different parts of the country at various times. Now if you look at our history, especially pre-colonial history, you will find that in fact many heterogeneous groups in pre-colonial Nigeria live together relatively harmoniously. In many areas there were deep trade relations, cultural exchanges and well-traveled migration routes between ethnic groups. The evidence of such sociocultural cross-pollination can be found in our languages, in our cultural norms, in our practices and traditions which have evolved over the course of several generations. Even the linguistic styles and the cognitive structures that have survived history are a testament to a profound degree of intercultural communication which predated the advent of colonialism. History is an impeccable teacher. In its lessons it gives us hope and also shows us what is possible. A deep dive into the history of these intergroup relations in our past is an illustrative reminder that in spite of our diversity it is possible and most desirable for us not only to coexist but to work together for a common goal of peaceful nation building. Nigeria will soon celebrate 60 years of independence from colonial rule and even 60 years of colonial and pre-colonial history of immense importance for understanding the role of our nation and her people especially in a global context. The same case can be made for the histories of many former African colonies which as a result of colonialism and the attendant Euro-centricism of global academia we have suffered from having their histories whitewashed, erased and sometimes horrific without our best interest in mind. Too often international history books present us solely as victims of white aggression, bereft of agency and as people whose lives only began at colonialism and independence. Although modern history is also important books like that of James Adepele or Jelabi that have gone as far back as 1008 in their sourcing are a necessary reminder that we were in fact heirs of great societies with sophisticated models of socio-political organization. People and we were and we were very well organized people well before the white line came. Indeed as a scholar, Jelabi strenuously opposed the view of African history as consisting only of a record of European imperialist colonial activities in Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. He described the portrayal of African history in these terms as I quote and I quote. It described that portrayal of African history in these terms as the height of intellectual dishonesty and this indignation inspired his historical writings the impact of which has endured for 50 years. Reclaiming our past will fortify our recognition of the key role we have played in global history and break free from the shackles of the colonial views of the continent. As black people, as Africans, as Nigerians who must reclaim our histories and nurture academic environments that make that possible. Chinua Achebe whose writings were rooted in profound historical consciousness famously said and I quote, until the lions have their own historians the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. End of quote. So decolonizing perceptions and reappropriating our historical inheritance is essential to recovering our sense of agency our purpose and our mission in the world. Our children must know that they belong to countries that they can be proud of so that they can stand tall in the face of people who may tell them a different story. Given the size of our diaspora as well, the pertinence of history runs beyond just our borders. A recent study illustrated that an overwhelming number of African-Americans have Nigerian ancestry. This knowledge is not entirely new but it serves as a reminder for just how important our history is not just because it is ours but because also it is the history of millions of people worldwide where part of something much bigger and history helps us to put that in context. So far our historical research on the continent often requires going against the grain to unlearn false histories that have been propagated about us so that we can write and record them in our own voices, reviving excluded perspectives and posthumously giving voices to the voiceless. Although a difficult task it is, it's a most necessary one and the sacrifices that historians make in the carrying out of their research studies is ultimately for the betterment of us all. This is why this Nigeria History Fund is a fitting celebration of the life of one of Nigeria's foremost historians, James Adekunio Gelabi, whose books on West African history were so popular that they've been included on curricula across the region and many of us today have read those textbooks, especially those of us who are students of history and many today are still reading those textbooks. A song for whom so much of his life was dedicated to ensuring that the stories of our past were given the attention they rightly deserved, supporting history students with a scholarship scheme is a very thoughtful tribute to his legacy. I'm also delighted to hear that the fund will keep conversations alive about the importance of history for modern day Nigeria as we also go about writing our own legacies and living out our own histories like the late James Adekunio Gelabi did. May the works of our own hands also be connected to a broader national goal. This departed historian will long be remembered for his enlightening history books that ultimately transformed and are still transforming how Nigerians see themselves in the world. His books showed us as a nation where we must not make the same mistakes. May we take heed, may we never lose the zeal to explore these new areas of historical curiosity and also that we never underestimate the immense value of Nigeria's history for us and the rest of the world. We owe it not only to the late Adekunio Gelabi but most importantly to our children, our next generation of nation builders. So while I commend again all the effort that has gone into setting up this foundation, I congratulate all the visioners and I congratulate all of us that were able to participate in this very important ceremony and especially to celebrate a year since the foundation came into being. I thank you very much. God bless you.