What will happen to the great Nigerians we forgot about?

These names are familiar because they are all paragons in their fields, revered, a mark of excellence even. The other thing they have in common is that they have rejected awards and other sundry honours from the Nigerian government.

Nigeria has an abusive relationship with consistency and truth that has left its history battered and its people somewhat forgetful. As such, many important names have been left out of the history books.

It is not strange for historians or storytellers to leave important names out of their accounts of the past for a lack of information.

The government has also played its own distasteful role. Military dictatorships suppressed voices in the past, or worse still, as with Ken Saro-Wiwa and Dele Giwa, killed them in their prime.

Today, a select few and their legacies are deliberately ignored for anything from political affiliation, such as Bola Ige, one of Nigeria's finest ever lawyers, to just plain neglect, like all of the country’s war veterans.

Even today, not many of this generation’s icons have their name in lights. Fortunately for them, social media has become a platform where some of these persons are celebrated.

20 years ago, Oby Ezekwesili’s constant demand for accountability would hardly be acknowledged on this l without the substantial following and support that platforms like Twitter have afforded her. It is commendable, even if that appreciation can come in the form of viral videos and fleeting conversations.

But what happens to the great Nigerians whose legacies have been eroded by time or disavowed till very few people remember who they were?

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What are the hopes of remembrance for a person like Dr. Stella Adadevoh, who gave her life to save millions when the Ebola outbreak of 2014 crossed Nigeria's borders.

If we can be practical, many of these names do not need to be remembered or immortalised. Certain people are hugely influential and special enough to be remembered, but like Major. Nzeogwu or Tafa Balogun, there is a risk of encouraging the behaviour they will be most remembered for.

Others, like Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe, live in the continued influence of their work. The stories in "A Man of the People" (Ambition, Class oppression, Corruption) or "The Lion and the Jewel" (Power, Love, Tradition and Morality) still hold relevance in today’s society.

Theirs was an uncanny ability to tell the Nigerian truth in relatable stories. The best way to preserve their legacies would be by paying continuous reference to their nuanced and well-expressed perspective of things, and for telling us our truth in their simplest terms.

A prophet is never valued in his hometown. At the country’s expense, some of the greatest Nigerians have become icons in other climes that were more willing to acknowledge and to be fair, support their abilities.

Musicians like William Onyeabor, one of the progenitors of neo-funk music, was a legend in the American underground music scene. Till his death, he was hardly a footnote to fans of music in Nigeria.

Some, like Fela, are revered at home but only so much because they have become global citizens, adopted by anyone with a need for conscience and identity in the image of one eclectic musician.

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Many do not fall in these classes. Some of their names hardly incite a glance, but like Ayodele Awojobi, they used the power of the press and loud voices to incite young students and everyone else to demand change.

In attempting to remember the icons of Nigeria’s past, we should acknowledge that the greatest persons impact the lives of many around, and beyond them.

We can only immortalise those of bygone eras when we can appreciate the extent of their influence and their place in the scheme of things.

It is easier to create a place in the pantheon of heroes when one learns that Dele Giwa was one of the founders of NEWSWATCH, a publication that revolutionised journalism in Nigeria, and a vocal investigative reporter who would only get letter-bombed for his troubles.

In a sense, this also means coming to factual terms and studying the history of this storied country, something not many people tend to do.

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In the long run, no-one has the resources or the information to appreciate and immortalise Nigeria’s heroes more than the government.

That purpose has been served in the past by conferring awards, dishing out appointments or naming infrastructure after people thought worthy of deserving these nods; but today, it is not enough.

To truly respect these heroes, the government needs to go beyond the safe luxury of conferring titles to actually supporting the projects and ideals that these persons were known for.

For instance, it would not be out of place to create a fund for law students and lawyers-in-training in honour of the late Gani Fawehinmi.

As news of Dr. Alex Ekwueme continues to draw reactions, the government would do well to remember his first loves; architecture and his voracious appetite for knowledge.

It would only be sensible to immortalise him in a way that supports those of lesser means who crave information and the opportunities it brings.

It is often said that Nigeria never rewards those who are exceptional. On the unlikely chance that this is about to change, we should start by edifying those who already have a legacy to their names.