History prof Toyin Falola advocates ‘decolonisation’ of knowledge in Africa

Toyin Falola has called on African universities to redefine their approach to knowledge by integrating indigenous ideologies with modern scientific methods.

Delivering the 17th convocation lecture of Ajayi Crowther University on Thursday, the Nigerian historian noted that Africa’s higher education ecosystem remains heavily influenced by Western epistemology. 

This influence, Falola said, is a legacy of colonialism that continues to shape postcolonial institutions.

The lecture, titled ‘The Future of Knowledge’, was held at the Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Faculty of Law auditorium of the institution. 

Falola warned that African universities risk perpetuating intellectual dependency unless they actively embrace a pluriversal model of knowledge.

“Africa can be intellectually free if it breaks away from the epistemic dominance of the West,” he said. 

He urged scholars to foster knowledge ecosystems that integrate both indigenous and foreign methodologies for sustainable development.

The scholar highlighted the works of decolonial theorists, including Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Kwesi Prah, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, calling for an ethical dimension of knowledge.

“As much as it encompasses intellectualism, the future of knowledge also encompasses politics and morals, he added.  

“Over the years, the veracity of knowledge has been measured from the perspective of Western ideology, relegating other media of expertise to the fringes of history.

“To this end, decolonisation of knowledge does not refer to a nostalgic appeal to the past, but rather a futuristic approach to democratising cognition, restoring plural epistemologies, and imagining futures beyond colonial scopes.

“Knowledge is rooted in morals and powers to liberate or dominate. The knowledge systems of traditional values include ecology, communalism, spirituality, and generational continuity. 

“This contrasts with that of the West, which favours extractive scientism.

“The knowledge systems of Africa are rooted in cosmology, where the lines between science, art, and spirituality are blurred. This system provides moral balance to a world that has become ethically unhinged.

“Unless indigenous African knowledge is fused into modern technology, the continent is at risk of intellectual servitude—like colonialism, a foreign algorithm this time. 

“In the future, technology must value linguistic diversity, cultural intelligence, and ethical innovation. This type of digital order reflects pluriversal knowledge.

“The availability of young innovators and scholars is facilitating the hybridisation of local knowledge and global science, thereby creating a novel epistemic generation that is well-versed in both tradition and technology. 

“Africa has the moral and political responsibility to assert its intellectual freedom without isolation, to connect with other civilisations rather than adhering to hierarchical structures.”