Preservation of Historical Records – SS2 Citizenship & Heritage Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

Preservation means keeping historical records safe so that they are not spoilt, lost or stolen. In Nigeria, archives keep original documents, museums keep objects called artefacts, and libraries keep books and newspapers. Records are protected by digitisation, climate control, restoration and security. A country without its records loses its past.

Subject: Citizenship and Heritage Studies
Class: SS2
Focus: Archives, museums and libraries

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• explain what preservation of historical records means;
• state what archives, museums and libraries keep and why each is special;
• describe four methods of preserving historical records;
• identify challenges of preserving records in Nigeria;
• list ways a citizen can help to preserve history.

Why do we preserve historical records?

Imagine you woke up today and forgot everything about your past: your name, your parents and where you live. You would be lost, right?

A country without historical records is just like that. Preservation simply means “keeping things safe” so they do not get spoilt, lost or stolen. We keep these records so that in 100 years, our children’s children will know what happened in Nigeria in 2026.

What are the three main places where history is kept?

In Nigeria, we have three main places where we keep our history. They might look similar, but they do different jobs.

Archives (the “paper” house)

The National Archives (like the ones in Ibadan, Kaduna and Enugu) are where we keep original documents.

• What you will find there: Old letters written by colonial masters, the original papers signed during Independence in 1960, old maps of Nigeria and government files.
• Why it is special: These are “primary sources”: the actual papers people held in their hands years ago, not textbooks about them.

Museums (the “object” house)

A museum is where we keep physical things (artefacts).

• What you will find there: The Benin Bronzes, Nok terracotta heads, old crowns of kings, traditional war clothes and ancient pots.
• Why it is special: It is where you go to see history. You can look at a spear used in a war 300 years ago and imagine how the warriors felt.

Libraries (the “knowledge” house)

Libraries (like the National Library) keep books, newspapers and magazines.

• What you will find there: Every newspaper printed in Nigeria, history books, research papers and biographies of famous Nigerians.
• Why it is special: It is the best place for research. If you want to know what the headlines were on the day you were born, the library is where you go.

Comparison of archives, museums and libraries

How do we keep historical records safe?

Preserving history takes more than putting things in a room. We have to be smart about it:

1. Digitisation (the modern way): This means scanning old papers and taking photos of artefacts to save them on computers and the internet. If the original paper gets burnt, we still have the digital copy.
2. Climate control: Old papers and wood get spoilt by heat and moisture. These “safe boxes” need to be cool and dry.
3. Restoration: Specialist “doctors” of history carefully fix torn papers or broken pots using special glue and tools.
4. Security: Keeping thieves away so that our Benin Bronzes do not end up being sold in foreign countries.

Why is preservation hard in Nigeria?

We face some “human” problems when trying to keep records:

• Poor funding: It costs money to buy scanners and keep the air conditioner (AC) running 24/7 in an archive.
• Lack of interest: Many people think “old things” are “juju” or “useless”. They would rather throw away an old diary than donate it to a museum.
• Climate: Nigeria is very hot and humid. This makes paper rot faster if we do not take extra care.
• The “oral” tradition: In Africa, we mostly tell stories with our mouths. When the old people die without writing things down, that history is gone forever.

What is your role as a citizen?

You do not have to be a professor to preserve history. You can:

• Keep your family’s old photos and stories safe.
• Visit a museum or library in your state.
• Not vandalise (draw on or break) historical monuments when you see them.

Evaluation

1. What does preservation of historical records mean?
2. State one difference between an archive and a museum.
3. Why is a library the best place for research?
4. List the four methods of keeping historical records safe.
5. Mention three challenges of preserving records in Nigeria.

Assignment

If you were to put three things in a “time capsule” today to show people in the year 2126 what Nigeria was like in 2026, what would you pick? Give a reason for each.