The Politics of Historical Memory in Nigeria: Monuments, Memorials, and National Identity

This study examines how the politics of historical memory is negotiated and contested through the selection, construction, and maintenance of monuments and memorials in Nigerian public spaces, analysing how official memory politics shapes and reflects national identity discourses. The decision over which historical figures and events are memorialised in Nigerian public culture is a deeply political process that reflects the power relations between ethnic groups, regions, and historical eras in shaping the national narrative. Using a professional critical historical and content analysis design, the study surveys the landscape of public monuments in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, and Kano, conducts 30 interviews with historians, urban planners, and community representatives, and reviews secondary literature published between 2020 and 2024. The Memory Studies Framework and the Politics of Heritage Theory provide the analytical lenses. Findings reveal a significant imbalance in Nigerian public memorialisation, with colonial-era figures and post-independence military leaders disproportionately represented relative to pre-colonial rulers, independence movement activists, and women leaders. Civil War memory remains deeply contested, with no official federal commemoration of either the military or civilian victims of the 1967 to 1970 conflict. The study recommends a National Historical Memory Policy that provides criteria for inclusive and representative public memorialisation. Keywords: historical memory, monuments, national identity, memorialisation, Nigeria.