According to a US historian by the name of Henry Glassie, history is not the past but rather a map of the past created from a specific perspective for the benefit of present travelers.
History should therefore be studied and practiced for educational purposes. We tend to learn from past errors in order to create a worthwhile present when we don’t neglect the past.
On February 8th, six significant events affected the history of this nation, Nigeria. These important events had an impact on Nigerian history. They have added to the historical foundation of this country, whether for good or ill.
The Bible Society of Nigeria was established on this day in 1966 thanks to the visionary work of the late Dr. Francis Ezeogo Akanu Ibiam, the first native Governor of the former Eastern Region.
Dr. Ibiam had earlier convened a meeting with leaders of the majority of Nigeria’s churches (Church organizations) in February 1965 to discuss the necessity of establishing a national Bible Society in Nigeria.
The Bible Society of Nigeria was founded and officially opened on 8 February 1966 as a result of the meeting’s unanimous vote to form it.
On this day in 2007, a new regional organization was established by Benin, Nigeria, and Togo with the goal of accelerating economic integration. The Co-Prosperity Alliance Zone (COPAZ) was formally established after a mini-summit attended by Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Boni Yayi of Benin, and Faure Gnassingbe of Togo.
At least nine women who were participating in a polio vaccination effort in Kano were shot and killed on this day in 2013 by gunmen who are thought to be Boko Haram militants.
Ibrahim Idris, the commissioner of the Kano State Police, promptly commanded the arrest of three radio journalists for allegedly being involved in the killings. The attacks, according to police, were spurred by broadcast comments regarding a local vaccination drive.
On this day in 2015, Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamic extremists abducted about 30 people including eight Cameroonian girls and killed 7 hostages in two bus hijackings in Cameroon and Nigeria.
On this day in 2015, Boko Haram fighters waged a new attack on Diffa, a southeastern border town in Niger state, where a blast killed at least 5 people and injured at least 10. Aid workers said the assailants had come from Nigeria.
On this day in 2015, Nigerian authorities came in for heavy criticism over the decision to postpone national elections in the face of relentless Boko Haram violence.