Professor Obaro Ikime, born on December 30, 1936, in Anibeze, Isoko South, Delta State, emerged from humble beginnings to become one of Nigeria’s most influential historians. He passed away on April 25, 2023, in Ibadan, leaving behind a significant intellectual legacy. His life was marked by a deep commitment to the role of history in fostering patriotism, citizenship, and national unity in Nigeria.
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Early Life and Education
Growing up in a rural environment with a fisherman father and a farmer mother, Ikime's early education eventually led him to Government College Ughelli between 1950 and 1956. He then attended the University of Ibadan. He became one of the first in his area to earn a Ph.D. Ikime pursued History at the University of Ibadan, graduating with Second Class Honours (Upper Division), before earning his doctorate by the age of 29.
Academic Career and Contributions
Obaro Ikime was only 29 years old when he bagged his PhD at the University of Ibadan, and only 37 years old when he became a full professor of History in the same university. He then retired at 53. He belonged to the second generation of Nigerian scholars trained at the University of Ibadan. As a historian and scholar, Ikime made significant contributions to the discipline and the nation.
Professor Ikime published extensively, authoring and editing foundational works such as:
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- Leadership in 19th Century Africa (1974)
- The Fall of Nigeria (1977)
- Groundwork of Nigerian History (1980)
His later books included History, the Historian, and the Nation (2006) and Can Anything Good Come Out of History?
Ikime's intellectual legacy lies in his belief that the nation cannot succeed without a collective awareness of its past.
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Championing National Unity and the Role of History
Ikime was a promoter of national unity. He understood the discomfort of not being able to identify properly with people of other ethnic groups. He had a commitment to the role of history in building patriotism and citizenship. He called for the use of history in projecting institutions. His core idea was that the nation could not succeed without a sense of history.
Fearing that teaching history would revive the stories that led to the civil war of 1967 to 1970, government circles led discussions in the late 1970s to ban teaching history in schools. Ikime warned against the marginalization of history as a discipline. Together with others, he criticized the government policy. He championed the teaching of inter-group relations as a safeguard against ethnic strife and famously warned against sidelining history in education, a battle eventually won when history re-entered the national curriculum in 2018 after years of neglect.
Obaro Ikime
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The Fall of Nigeria (1977)
What made the message significant was the period in which the book was published, 1977, when the nation had more time to repair the margins gradually. This message, based in scholarship, was delivered at a time when Nigeria needed it most. The military government of Ibrahim Babangida was midwifing a transition program.
Legacy
Nigeria must appreciate Obaro Ikime’s fight to rediscover Nigerian and African identity. Aside from doing this through his publications, he took action to help keep alive the consciousness of national identity.
Ikime was a fine individual whose magnanimity was beyond ordinary. He was always ready to help and promote civic responsibility.
His work, "Niger Delta rivalry: Itsekiri-Urhobo relations and the European presence, 1884-1936," published as part of the Ibadan History Series, delves into the complexities of inter-group relations and the impact of European influence in the region.
Obaro Ikime's Key Contributions:
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| Contribution | Description |
|---|---|
| Academic Scholarship | Authored and edited foundational works on Nigerian and African history. |
| National Unity | Promoted understanding and cooperation between different ethnic groups in Nigeria. |
| History Education | Advocated for the inclusion of history in the national curriculum. |
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