My campaign for the principle that “Every President Deserves a Library” raises an important question about how Nigeria can preserve its national history, document presidential leadership, and make the experiences of past administrations useful to future generations.
A presidential library is more than a magnificent building bearing the name of a former president.
It is a living institution of national memory — preserving documents, photographs, speeches, correspondence, policy records, audiovisual materials, personal papers and other historical evidence, while supporting research, education and public understanding.
My proposal is particularly relevant to Nigeria because the country has experienced civilian administrations, military governments, political transitions and major changes in its national development.
Here are 20 major advantages of my proposal:
1. Preservation of Nigeria’s National History:
Every president leaves behind records of decisions, events, challenges and achievements. A presidential library should preserve these materials for future generations instead of allowing them to become scattered, deteriorate or disappear.
2. A Treasure House for Researchers and Scholars:
Historians, political scientists, librarians, journalists, writers and researchers will gain access to primary sources for books, theses, biographies, documentaries and academic publications.
3. Education for Younger Generations:
Nigerian children and young adults will learn how their country was governed, why major decisions were made and how national institutions evolved.
This will bring history to life beyond classroom textbooks.
4. Accountability and Transparency:
Properly managed Presidential libraries will make eligible government records available for public scrutiny.
Researchers could examine the documentary evidence behind policies and decisions, subject to lawful restrictions on access.
5. Protection Against Historical Distortion:
Authenticated records, speeches, photographs and correspondence will help future generations distinguish documented events from rumours, propaganda and conflicting recollections.
6. Preservation of Eyewitness Testimonies:
Presidential Libraries will record interviews with former presidents, ministers, civil servants, military leaders, diplomats and other participants in significant events before their knowledge is lost.
7. Digitisation of Nigeria’s Historical Records:
Scanning documents, digitising photographs and preserving audio and video will allow authorised users to consult historical materials online, including Nigerians living far from the physical libraries.
8. Better Policymaking and Governance:
Future administrations will study earlier successes, mistakes and unintended consequences before introducing new policies. A well-documented past can help government make more informed decisions.
9. Development of Nigerian Biography:
Presidential libraries will support authoritative biographies of Nigeria’s presidents and other national figures, enriching the country’s biographical literature and preserving the stories behind public leadership.
10. Strengthening Journalism and Investigative Reporting:
Journalists and editors could consult original speeches, policy documents, official correspondence and recorded interviews to produce better-informed reporting, documentaries and historical investigations.
11. Promotion of National Unity:
By documenting the experiences of successive administrations across Nigeria’s regions and political traditions, the libraries could help citizens understand the country’s shared history, disagreements and collective achievements.
12. Improved Understanding of Nigeria’s Foreign Relations:
Historical records of diplomacy, international agreements, state visits and negotiations could help researchers understand Nigeria’s relationships with other African countries and the wider world.
13. Preservation of National Artefacts:
Presidential gifts, photographs, ceremonial objects, letters, medals and other historical materials should be catalogued, conserved and displayed for educational purposes, where appropriate.
14. Tourism and Local Economic Development:
Well-designed presidential libraries and museums could attract school groups, scholars, domestic visitors and international tourists. Their activities should support hospitality, transport, publishing, retail and other local businesses.
15. Creation of Specialised Employment:
The institutions will create opportunities for archivists, librarians, conservators, historians, information technologists, educators, curators, researchers and administrative professionals.
16. Establishment of Centres for Leadership Development:
Presidential libraries should host lectures, leadership programmes, policy discussions, debates and seminars examining public service, democratic institutions and national development.
17. Continuity Between Successive Administrations:
Each presidential library should document the transition from one administration to another, preserving institutional knowledge and helping successive governments understand the background to inherited national challenges.
18. Preservation of Nigeria’s Digital History:
Governments generate emails, electronic documents, digital photographs, social media records and video recordings.
A presidential library system should develop professional standards for preserving these materials and ensuring their future usability.
19. International Research Partnerships:
Nigerian presidential libraries should collaborate with universities, museums, archives and research institutions at home and abroad, encouraging scholarly exchanges, joint publications, exhibitions and international conferences.
20. A Lasting National Legacy Beyond Political Office:
A presidential library should give each former president an opportunity to contribute to the preservation of Nigeria’s history.
Its lasting value would depend not on the size of the building or the fame of its founder, but on the quality of its collections, accessibility, scholarship and service to the public.
What Makes This Proposal Especially Significant?
The central idea is that the presidency ends, but the historical record must endure.
The United States offers a useful example: its presidential library system grew from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s decision to preserve his papers and make them accessible to the public. Its presidential libraries preserve records, support research and provide educational exhibitions and programmes.
Nigeria should adapt this principle to its own constitutional history and circumstances.
For this proposal to succeed, three safeguards are particularly important:
1. Professional Independence:
Records should be managed by qualified archival professionals, with credible safeguards against political interference.
2. Public Access and Accountability:
Access to policies should be clear, with lawful protections for classified information, personal privacy and other restricted materials.
3. Sustainable Funding:
Construction, digitisation, conservation, staffing and long-term maintenance should be planned together.
A Proposed National Declaration Through a supporting BILL by the National Assembly is hereby urgently recommended.
Every President Deserves A Library: A Campaign For The Preservation Of Nigeria’s National Memory
Most importantly, my Proposal that:
“Every President Deserves a Library is a call to preserve the documentary heritage of the Nigerian Presidency for present and future generations.
It is a proposal that every former President of Nigeria, irrespective of political party, ethnic background, religious affiliation, military or civilian status, should have a properly organised presidential archival institution dedicated to preserving the records, experiences and historical materials of that administration.
Such institutions should serve as centres of learning, research, historical documentation, public education and leadership development.
The objective is not to glorify individuals, celebrate political power or construct monuments to personalities. It is to preserve the evidence of national leadership, encourage informed public discussion and ensure that the lessons of Nigeria’s political journey are not lost.
A nation that preserves the records of its leaders gives future generations the opportunity to understand its past, evaluate its present and make wiser decisions about its future.
The presidency is temporary. The national memory must be permanent.
Conclusion
My proposal can be understood as a campaign for a permanent documentary legacy for every Nigerian presidency. Its strongest justification is the public value created when historical records are preserved, professionally managed and made accessible for education, research and accountability.
The ultimate measure of success would be a nationwide system in which every presidential administration is properly documented, every generation can learn from the historical record, and Nigeria’s documentary heritage remains available long after those who created it have left office.
Every President Deserves A Library — Because Every Presidency Is Part Of Nigeria’s History, And Nigeria’s History Deserves To Be Preserved.
Finally, this proposal is based on the fact that I collaborated with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to bring the first Presidential Library from America to Africa:
The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, NIGERIA.
nyaknnoAbasi Osso is the Founder of BIOGRAPHICAL LEGACY AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION( BLERF), Publishers of Nigeria’s first and only Online WHO’S WHO IN NIGERIA(blerf.org) featuring: the Makers, Shapers, Movers and Shakers of Nigeria, dating from 1861 to everlasting.
