President Bola Tinubu has described the autobiography of former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon as a vital national document that offers guidance for Nigeria’s future, regional cooperation, and national unity.
Speaking on Tuesday at the public presentation of the memoir titled ‘My Life of Duty and Allegiance‘ at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu said the book should be widely circulated as “a civic inheritance for all Nigerians.”
The president was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
“A nation that misplaces its memory soon begins to quarrel with its own reflection. A society without memory becomes an orphan in time,” Tinubu said.
He stressed that preserving historical memory is essential to avoid repeating past mistakes and to strengthen democratic stability and cohesion.
The president praised Gowon’s post-civil war policy of “No victor, no vanquished,” calling it a defining principle that helped preserve Nigeria’s unity.
He also cited the National Youth Service Corps, established under Gowon, as an enduring legacy that has bridged ethnic, cultural and religious divides.
Tinubu said Gowon’s life stands as “a rebuke to divisive narratives that attempt to reduce Nigeria’s diversity into rigid regional or religious stereotypes.”
He added that the Nigerian project grows stronger “when a citizen refuses to become a weapon in the hands of sectarian entrepreneurs.”
On regional affairs, the president commended Gowon’s role in founding ECOWAS, saying its vision remains critical as West Africa confronts terrorism, 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.
Gen. Gowon said the book was his attempt to document his service to Nigeria, noting that his “story and that of Nigeria became intertwined.” Ahead of 2027, he urged Nigerians not to listen to “naysayers,” saying the nation “will never fail despite the country’s challenges.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who chaired the occasion, said the memoir preserves institutional memory and deepens public understanding of critical moments in Nigeria’s history.
Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto, who reviewed the book, described it as a vivid account of Nigeria’s turbulent history and Gowon’s personal journey.
The event was attended by former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, representatives of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and former First Lady Patience Jonathan, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, ministers, military chiefs, traditional and religious leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto and CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh.
