South Africa to educate citizens on Nigeria’s role during Apartheid struggle

South Africa has concluded plans to re-introduce history in its academic curriculum so as to enlighten its citizens about Nigeria’s role in the fight against apartheid rule, an official has said.

South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Lulu Aaron- Mnguni, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday that the importance of the relationship between the two countries could not be over-emphasised.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and former South African President, Nelson Mandela

“Both countries are tested partners. We have come a long way with Nigeria, a country that was so much relentless in supporting us in the days of apartheid rule.

“Nigeria is a country that gave profile to the international pillar of our revolution in the UN and the commonwealth; it is a country that received our youth during the apartheid.

“Our youth came to Nigeria and were given scholarship; it is a country that has been very much relentless in supporting us, despite the geographical difference that separates us,” he said.

The envoy said that the unity of the two countries was important and the youth must know about it.

He said that the introduction of history into the country’s school curriculum would go a long way in giving positive perception about Nigeria to the youth.

He said Nigeria was part of the countries that said “African cannot be free as long as South Africa is not free’’.

“We want our youth to know about this, we actually want to introduce this into our curriculum.

According to him, Nigerian public servants used to keep part of their salaries to fight for the course of South Africa, so that those young kids could be able to go to schools.

“We want the young ones, the youth of today to know about these. We actually want to reintroduce this in our history and it must form part of our curriculum.

“So our youth must know about this; so that this militancy and fighting between each other must stop.

“We need to go back and begin to enlighten the youth. So we need to write our own story so that our youth, our people in general will know where we have come from together,” he said.

According to him, there is need to address the issue of poverty in both countries so that desperation among the people which ends up in mistrust and suspicion can be removed.

(NAN)