Former President of the Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN) and Professor of Economic History at the Benue state University, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu has described history as part and parcel of our lives.

In a brief chat with CEOAfrica correspondent at the CBN Ogbogbo Inaugural lecture held recently in Ibadan, he stated that history defines who we are as a people.

"The point we have been trying to make at HSN is that history is a living thing, it defines who we are, what we are, where we are coming from and where we are going.

"So, we insist that history is part and parcel of our daily existence, in living our daily existence, we live history. It is the sum total of humanity as it were and so if you do not aggregate proper knowledge of the sum total you will miss the critical issues, some of the critical issues that have defined that historical existence throughout mankind. The great Prof. Ade Ajayi mentioned it all when he said, " for all intent and purposes, history is a rear view mirror of a car" - a car is moving forward, but it has a rear view mirror and that sort of describes the relationship between what is behind us and what is ahead," he said.

On the inaugural lectural lecture, Prof. Ochefu said, "Professor CBN Ogbogbo inaugural lecture was a very illuminating lecture, coming from the mother university where HSN was born. I think he hit the nail on the head. He did real justice to the issues discussed and in the finest of traditions, he defended it very well".

Professor Ochefu is a university administrator, career academic and part time entrepreneur with over 30 years cumulative experience.