Mr Labaran Maku, former Minister of Information, has advised Nigerians to preserve indigenous history and culture through documented works.
Maku made the call on Sunday in Obi, Nasarawa State, during the launch of a book titled: “History of Obi”, written by Musa Abdullahi, General Manager of Precious FM, Lafia.
He said that the call became necessary because of the danger posed by lack of proper documentation of history of most communities in the country.
“It is important to always document history in writing. It is the best way to save Nigerian indigenous cultures from going extinct.
“Culture and history are very important because they enable us to know the past and the present. Documenting them will enable unborn generations know where we are coming from.
“Every tribe should plan for the future by striving to preserve and promote its culture through writing,” he said.
The former minister regretted the rate at which some aspects of many cultures were disappearing in Nigeria, and expressed the fear that the situation would get worse if not checked.
“Unless we check the trend, we will wake up one day and discover that all cultures are gone,” he said.
Maku expressed disgust at the situation where some people create the impression that foreign cultures were better than the indigenous ones such as those of Eggon, Mada, Alago and Igbo, among others.
He appealed to traditional leaders and other stakeholders, particularly historians from various communities, to document the history of their respective communities for future generation.
Earlier, Abdullahi had said that he wrote the book to connect the past and the present.
“The book has a strong relationship with journalism profession because it seeks to inform and educate the public,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the book presentation attracted politicians, traditional rulers, among other well wishers.
