BETWEEN FACT AND FORM: RETHINKING LANGUAGE AND STYLE IN NIGERIAN HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP

Abstract

This paper interrogates the relationship between factual content and stylistic form in
Nigerian historical scholarship, challenging the longstanding assumption that
historical writing must adopt a neutral, objective tone to be considered rigorous. It
argues that language and style are not mere vessels for transmitting historical truth
but are central to the construction, interpretation, and reception of historical
knowledge. The study employs the qualitative research methodology, drawing on
examples from both academic and vernacular traditions, including the works of
Nigerian historians, oral narratives, and culturally embedded storytelling practices.
The paper aims to explore how stylistic experimentation can deepen historical
insight, broaden audience engagement, and reflect indigenous epistemologies. It
also examines the institutional and epistemic constraints that discourage stylistic
innovation, such as colonial legacies, academic gatekeeping, and the privileging of
Eurocentric modes of narration. In proposing a more pluralistic approach to
historical form, the paper advocates for an expanded methodological imagination
that embraces linguistic diversity, indigenous expressive forms, and reflexive
narrative strategies. Ultimately, it calls for a rethinking of scholarly conventions to
make Nigerian historiography more inclusive, dynamic, and responsive to its own
cultural and intellectual contexts