President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday described the autobiography of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, as an important national document that offers guidance for Nigeria’s future, regional cooperation and the preservation of national unity.
The President particularly called for the wide circulation of the memoir across the country, noting that it represents a civic inheritance for all Nigerians.
Speaking during the public presentation of the memoir at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said reflections from leaders who witnessed defining moments in Nigeria’s history remain essential to strengthening democratic stability and national cohesion.
He stressed that Nigeria must preserve its historical memory to avoid repeating past mistakes, warning that societies that fail to learn from history risk drifting into division and uncertainty.
“A nation that misplaces its memory soon begins to quarrel with its own reflection. A society without memory becomes an orphan in time,” he said.
Tinubu observed that Gowon’s account was coming at a time when Nigeria and the wider West African region continue to grapple with insecurity, economic pressures and social fragmentation, making lessons of reconciliation and statesmanship even more relevant.
He praised Gowon’s post-civil war reconciliation efforts, particularly the declaration of “No victor, no vanquished,” describing it as one of the defining principles that helped preserve Nigeria’s unity after the civil war.
According to the President, peace and national healing require deliberate policies rooted in trust, inclusion and shared citizenship.
“The decisions of that period cannot be understood by those who examine them with the arrogance of comfort. Every generation that inherits peace must learn to speak gently about the choices made in the season of peril,” he added.
Tinubu also highlighted the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as one of the enduring legacies of Gowon’s administration, noting that the scheme has continued to bridge ethnic, cultural and religious divides across generations.
He said Gowon’s life remains a rebuke to divisive narratives seeking to reduce Nigeria’s diversity into rigid regional or religious stereotypes.
“His story teaches us that the Nigerian project becomes stronger when a citizen refuses to become a weapon in the hands of sectarian entrepreneurs,” the President stated.
On regional affairs, Tinubu commended Gowon’s role in the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), describing the bloc as one of Africa’s most important platforms for economic cooperation and collective security.
He said the founding vision behind ECOWAS remains critical as West Africa continues to confront terrorism, political instability and economic disruption.
“We need cooperation against insecurity. We need trade that empowers our young people. We need diplomacy that prevents conflict from becoming contagion,” he said.
Tinubu described Gowon as a statesman whose commitment to peace, unity and national service has endured across generations.
Earlier, Gowon said he wrote the memoir to tell his truth and document the opportunity he had to serve Nigeria.
According to him, his story became inseparable from that of Nigeria, making it necessary to document his experiences and reflections.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, Gowon urged Nigerians not to listen to “naysayers,” insisting that Nigeria would not fail despite present challenges.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who chaired the occasion, described the memoir as a fitting reflection of a leader who governed during one of Nigeria’s most turbulent periods.
Jonathan said the book would help preserve institutional memory and deepen public understanding of critical decisions in the country’s history.
Book reviewer and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, described the memoir as a vivid account of Nigeria’s turbulent history and Gowon’s personal journey through the civil war era.
He noted that while no autobiography can fully capture history in its entirety, the book provides valuable insights into events during Gowon’s administration.
Other dignitaries present at the event included former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh; ministers, traditional rulers, serving and retired military officers, among others.
Deji Elumoye
