History is meant to enlighten, educate, and preserve the truth of past events. However, when history is manipulated or misrepresented, it becomes a tool of misinformation. One such falsehood that has been perpetuated for years is the claim that Mungo Park discovered River Niger. This narrative is not just misleading, but a blatant distortion of reality that must be corrected.
The Federal Ministry of Education must take urgent steps to review and update our history curriculum. It is unacceptable that we continue to teach young Nigerians a version of history that erases the knowledge and achievements of our ancestors. We must not allow our children to grow up believing that a European explorer “discovered” a river that had sustained African civilizations for centuries.
Let’s be clear—Mungo Park did not discover River Niger. Long before he arrived, indigenous communities had been living along the riverbanks, depending on its waters for agriculture, fishing, and daily survival. The river was not just a source of livelihood but an integral part of their culture and existence. To claim that an outsider “discovered” what was already known and utilized by African societies is an insult to historical truth.
It is important to note that Mungo Park was not even an explorer by profession. He was a medical doctor, a surgeon to be precise, who embarked on a journey to map parts of West Africa for European interests. He merely followed the river’s course from the Gambia River to River Niger, documenting what he saw. By the time he arrived, local communities were already thriving along the river, engaging in trade, farming, and fishing. How, then, can he be credited with discovering what countless generations had already known and depended upon?
The idea that Mungo Park discovered River Niger is as absurd as a Nigerian traveling to Scotland and claiming to have discovered a village there. It is a colonial construct that diminishes the contributions of African civilizations and reinforces the false idea that Africa had no history before European contact. This is why it is crucial for us to take control of our own historical narrative, ensuring that future generations learn the truth about our past.
It is time for educational institutions, historians, and policymakers to take responsibility for correcting these falsehoods. The study of African history should reflect the realities of our ancestors’ achievements, not the Eurocentric distortions that have been handed down for generations. We must reclaim our history, challenge misleading narratives, and ensure that the truth is told.
Mungo Park did not discover River Niger. Our ancestors did. And it is time we teach that truth with the prominence it deserves.
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