The Uses of Hindsight As Foresight: Reflections On Niger Delta And Nigerian History

This collection of papers documents efforts to harness oral historical sources and academic study of the past for public education and understanding of the present. It is concerned with learning from history: the relevance of looking back for contributory answers to contemporary questions. The study has particular regard for the history and current situation of the Niger Delta, offering a view of Nigeria's history from a marginal position. Contents: the Ijaw and the Niger Delta in Nigerian history; Cross River State in historical focus; FESTAC remembered: cultural tolerance in the Nigerian nation; the western Niger Delta: origins and relations; history and policy in the Niger Delta crisis; Izon: the historical perspective; peace making and conflict resolution in Nigeria: a historical perspective; an internal cultural route to peace in the Niger Delta; Niger Delta youth: taking control; and the future in Nigerian discourse. The author was Professor of History at the University of Port Harcourt. Now Pro-Chancellor of the new Niger Delta University, he is still active in research and writing.