Representation of Yoruba Culture in Nigerian Secondary School History Textbooks: A Critical Analysis

History textbooks in secondary education shape students' understanding of cultural heritage, ethnic identity, and national belonging, making their representation of specific cultural groups a matter of both scholarly and policy significance. This study critically analyses the representation of Yoruba culture in Nigerian secondary school history textbooks approved for use by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, drawing on a corpus of eight widely used Junior and Senior Secondary history textbooks published between 2018 and 2023. Using critical discourse analysis and cultural representation theory, the study examines how Yoruba pre-colonial history, cultural practices, notable historical figures, and contemporary contributions are presented, what omissions exist, and whether representations reproduce stereotypes or inaccuracies. Existing critical textbook analysis in Nigeria has focused predominantly on gender and religious representation, with ethnolinguistic representation analysis, specifically for Yoruba, being limited in the peer-reviewed literature. This study addresses that gap. The research investigates whether Yoruba historical contributions are proportionally represented relative to other major Nigerian ethnic groups, whether negative stereotypes are avoided, and whether cultural nuance is maintained in descriptions of Yoruba governance systems, religious traditions, and artistic heritage. Findings are expected to reveal imbalances in coverage, with pre-colonial Yoruba political history more thoroughly represented than contemporary cultural contributions, and some instances of cultural simplification. Recommendations will address textbook revision guidelines for culturally equitable representation of Nigeria's major ethnolinguistic groups. Keywords: Yoruba culture, textbook representation, critical discourse analysis, history education, cultural identity.