The need to decolonize African higher education as a means of developing the continent has been stressed.

The issue was put on the front burner as a renowned professor of history, Toyin Falola delivered the 54th convocation of the University of Lagos today Monday.

Professor Falola who lamented that the development of Africa was disrupted by colonialism noted that the continent could be launched on the path of prosperity if the education systems especially at the university level were decolonized.

According to Falola who spoke under the topic “Decolonizing African Higher Education for Transformational Development,” the development of Africa should begin with decolonization of its education systems because “The kind of education we receive directly affects the core of our being. Our perceptions and identity are determined and requisite to the kind of information received. The implication is that every institution and social orientation of members of society is defined by the conduit of epistemological reverberations that are predominant in every era.

“Predominant knowledge systems permeate the ecosystem of every society, gradually telling on the behavioural pattern of every agent and constituent of each society. This is evident in the noticeable results of the contradistinguishing cultural patterns of an era to antiquities. Pre-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial behavioural and orientational patterns differ because of their subjectivity to the social epistemological standpoints. It is crystal clear that society does not learn in a vacuum, and the epistemological immersion of the same into the pool of dyes that gives their respective social reflections is not done without influence or agencies. For there to be systems of knowledge that would condition the general disposition of people, there must be agencies that propel such knowledge. In the past, families, traditions, trade institutions, careers, and other knowledge systems were the viable agencies of social knowledge that were predominant in the pre-European-educational systems. However, the twists and changes that occurred have made educational institutions the primary sources of ethos and epistemology today.”

Falola said that “Considering the importance of higher institutions on the orientational composition of every nation, which extends to its projections of transformation, it becomes worrisome when certain factors and notably captivating conditions have a lien on their fundamentals . The colonial history of Africa and its educational development are subjects that have been extensively discussed over the years. African higher institutions are either created in the shadow of the colonial systems or established following the patterns left by colonial ideological relics. Either way, the institutions are built as a reflection of colonial cultures and ideas. Relating to their influence on society, it is safe to say that their colonial characteristics cemented enduring colonial influence in every African society.

“Many of the early African universities, especially in British colonies, were founded in the 1940s. From 1948 to 1949, universities were established in Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana, setting the stage for the establishment of other universities in other regions. These schools snowballed into the first generation of national universities and other institutions. During the colonial era, the motivations behind these establishments were not close to the consideration of the projection of African values and cultures. Instead, they were fundamentally for colonial purposes and the projection of colonial ideas.”

He said that the reasons behind establishing these institutions were to effect “imperial modernity that conformed with social trends at that time, generate more human capital for the progress of the colonies, serve as evidence of broad colonial developments, respond to technocratic demands in reaction to war realities and contexts, address colonial ideological shifts, inject colonial values, and concede to the demands of Africa.”

Warning that “Without this process of decolonizing this information, achieving people-focused development that would make society work will remain a challenge”, Falola urged the African university education systems should embrace the study of history that would reflect the past and cultural practices of the people.

He also stressed the need for the use of indigenous languages for the teaching of various subjects. But Falola is not oblivious of the obstacles to the use of indigenous languages for teaching. According to him, apart from the challenge of the multiplicity of languages, they cannot be used to explain some concepts that are easily taught in English.

Acknowledging the obstacles to the decolonization of the university education, he proposed in the case of Nigeria, for instance, the the government through its agencies like the National Universities Commission (NUC) should be involved in the decolonization project.