Category: Campus Life

Priority must be given to the representation of African cultural imperatives in higher educational curricula, nurturing individuals who have a particularised understanding of the social climate and systems, allowing them to optimise this knowledge for transformational development. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports

I distinguished professor of History at the University of Texas, Austin, U.S, Toyin Falola has stressed the significance of deliberate efforts to decolonise the curriculum of higher education in Africa.

He defined decolonisation as  a ‘comprehensive term encompassing various efforts aimed at resisting the intertwined processes of colonisation and racialisation’, adding that its objective is to bring about transformation.

According to him, interception of Africa’s cultural perception by colonially systemised education creates people who are alienated from society and its structural systems through the information and ideologies that impact them.

The don said the development of social systems becomes latent in the hands of these individuals because they can no longer flawlessly interact with their society with an African projection, given their new orientation. He noted that developments become stalled and stagnant as the drivers of these developments are functioning in a system that they cannot culturally comprehend or that is not particular to their cultural dynamics.

Falola delivered University of Lagos convocation lecture entitled: “Decolonising African Higher Education for transformational development” on Monday at the institution’s main auditorium in Akoka, Lagos.

He noted that despite the present autonomy of African universities after independence, they predominantly uphold the academic systems and structures bequeathed by the colonialists, adhering closely to Western academic standards.

According to him, within the confines of educational institutions, African youths were gradually steered towards embracing European culture, thereby eroding their previously held cultural identities. He said the  proliferation of an externally imposed educational system systematically marginalised African culture, relegating it to a subordinate status and ultimately branding it “barbaric.”

“Colonial education fostered alienation and domination. The assimilation it projected through its educational system meant that the colonised had to conform to its methodologies, resulting in the obliteration of African values and cultural identity,” he said.

The don noted that though African institutions have made significant efforts to ensure that their respective curricula reflect some level of diverse perspectives and project African knowledge, these are often done in ways that are subjected to colonial methodologies, with African values or methodologies still standing a distance away from being the fundamental controlling factors in education.

He called for the pursuit of a more culturally inclusive educational environment, adding that the incorporation of African languages alongside the English language should be embraced to foster a richer and more authentic African educational experience.

According to Falola, Africa’s educational system suffers from globalism and its imminent incentive of cultural diffusion. He said the curriculum often undergoes amendments to align with global standards, and over time, the cultural imperatives that contribute to the identity of the African people are gradually removed from it.

He urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to  be concerned more with the decolonisation of education rather than advancing neoliberal standards on Nigerian education.

 On the decolonisation of African higher education for transformational development, the don sought the expansion of general courses and programmes on culture, African epistemologies, promotion of African Languages as courses, creation of African Vocabulary Development and Enlightenment Bank, publishing journals in local dialects.

He also suggested an interdisciplinary combined honours programme in culture, science, and economics to strengthen efforts towards decolonisation of African universities.

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“This will involve an approach to education that allows students to explore and integrate knowledge from the academic disciplines of culture, science, and economics. There are other areas where combined honours are necessary so as to multiply skills and talents suitable to changing job ,” he added.

Falola also urged the University of Lagos to create the Department of Lagoon and Sea Economies, possibly under the Faculty of Engineering or, like in other institutions, under the Faculty of Maritime and Marine Engineering and Economies.

“The examination of lagoon and sea economies discipline centres on the economic facets of endeavours connected to oceans, seas, and coastal regions. These economies are interconnected with multiple sectors, and comprehending their dynamics entails an investigation of both natural resources and human activities.

“Examining the conservation and commercialisation of lagoon and sea resources represents critical topics of discussion in its examination. This will contribute to the improvement of these resources in Nigeria and generate industrial concepts and viewpoints that promote the advancement of Nigerian economies,” he said.

Earlier Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola noted that Africa has lagged behind in development in the comity of nations because the  current educational system modelled on colonial constructs has not been able to drive the all-round development, revolutionary ideas, and industries  needed despite the population, heterogeneity and other positive demographic factors.

“If we are to fully develop and be unique not copycats, we must embrace who we are so we can make the right choices on what parts of other cultures we will adopt. We must rediscover our purpose, trace our heritage, reorientate our minds and develop new policies that embrace our peculiarities and unique flavour,” she said.

 Chairman of the occasion, Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, erstwhile Pro-chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), said the future of the continent is tied to the transformation of education. He said it was imperative to revamp the  curriculum  across various fields.