-
The Historian And Society: Selected Historial Writings Of Yusufu Bala Usman
₦9,000The Historian and Society: Selected Historical Writings of Yusufu Bala Usman compiles some of the most influential and thought-provoking writings of Yusufu Bala Usman, one of Nigeria’s preeminent historians and scholars. This collection provides a comprehensive look at Usman’s scholarly contributions, highlighting his unique perspectives on Nigerian history and his critical approach to historical analysis.
Usman’s work is renowned for its rigorous examination of historical events and its focus on the socio-economic and political dimensions of history. This volume showcases his commitment to uncovering the complexities of Nigeria’s past and offers insights into the broader implications of historical developments on contemporary society.
Key themes covered in the book include:
Historical Methodology: Usman’s approach to historiography and his innovative methods for analyzing historical sources and contexts.
Colonial and Post-Colonial History: Analysis of Nigeria’s colonial legacy and its impact on the post-colonial state, including socio-economic and political changes.
Political Economy: Examination of the economic and political structures of Nigerian societies and how they have evolved over time.
Social Structures: Exploration of traditional and contemporary social structures and their role in shaping historical narratives.
Critical Perspectives: Usman’s critiques of mainstream historical interpretations and his contributions to alternative historical perspectives.
The Historian and Society serves as an essential resource for historians, scholars, and students interested in Nigerian history and historiography. It reflects Yusufu Bala Usman’s profound influence on the field of history and his enduring legacy as a critical thinker and historian. -
The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria 1977-1987
₦7,000The real basis of the manipulation of religion in Nigeria today is the need to obscure from the people of Nigeria a fundamental aspect of our reality: that is the domination of our political economy by a class of intermediaries who are being increasingly exposed. And this is to enable this class to cover themselves with religious and ethnic disguises in order to further entrench division among our people, slow down their awakening, at any cost; even the unity of our country, for which so much has been sacrificed. – Yusufu Bala Usman, 1987, The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria 1977-1987.
Nigerians may be the “most religious people on earth”, as a BBC worldwide survey once concluded. However, while the generality of Nigerians express a deep attachment to some form of religious belief, the religiosity of the Nigerian political class is often based on expediency and egocentrism rather than a commitment to the principles of either Christianity or Islam. What is more, citizens have failed to detect, much less react to, the manipulation of religion – with telling consequences on the pattern of elections, the structuring of national security, economic relations and socio-cultural cohesion throughout the country. All the claim to piety is hollow, and has not stopped the political class from political perfidy and massive economic fraud, such that, ironically, the country that is “most religious” is also among the “most corrupt” in the world, as various corruption surveys by Transparency International have shown. – Usman A. Tar, 2020, Foreword to The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria 1977-1987. ’