Renowned African intellectual and History Professor, Toyin Falola, has proposed the inclusion of Ifa and witchcraft studies alongside science and economics in Nigerian universities, advocating for degree certificates in these fields. Speaking at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) during the 54th Convocation lecture titled “Decolonising African Higher Education for Transformational Development,” Prof. Falola emphasized the need for a curriculum transformation.
He suggested the use of indigenous languages for communication among lecturers and students, regardless of their academic disciplines. Occupying the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair at the University of Texas at Austin, Prof. Falola argued that the colonial-era African educational system served the economic and governance ambitions of the colonizers, and even after independence, it perpetuates foreign interests through African elites.
Highlighting the dependence on Western academic norms in the current educational system, Prof. Falola asserted that decolonization is essential to break away from colonial ideologies. He emphasized the challenges posed by information, knowledge, and ideas rooted in colonialism, asserting that a decolonized education system is crucial for meaningful development on the African continent.
While acknowledging existing efforts like the Afrikology theory aimed at challenging Western epistemologies, Prof. Falola expressed that more needs to be done for Africa to attain global prominence.
