6 - African Culture and the Quest for Sustainable and Improved Indigenous Knowledge Production: Nigeria and South Africa in Perspective
Corresponding Author(s) : Harrison Adewale Idowu
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 19 No. 2 (2021): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
Culture is the way of life of a people. But Western culture has deprived Africa of most of its cultural practices and values. The jettisoning of the African way of life for a Western one has affected indigenous knowledge production. Beaming the light on South Africa and Nigeria, this article interrogates the impact of culture/African ways of knowing on indigenous knowledge production in Africa, and unravels how much Africa has been able to incorporate its culture in knowledge production systems amid the penetration and preponderance of alien culture. It relies on historical perspective and document analysis. The article finds that African ways of knowing have been largely eroded in Nigeria, and that South Africa fares better but still faces some challenges. This has negatively affected the quest for sustained and improved indigenous knowledge production, vis-à-vis finding lasting solutions to the peculiar political, economic and social problems in these countries. It concludes that if Nigeria and South Africa, and indeed the African continent, are to attain sustainable and improved indigenous knowledge production, they must preserve African ways of knowing, without which indigenous knowledge production will remain in the abyss.
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- Abah, J., Mashebe, P. and Denuga, D.D., 2015, ‘Prospect of integrating African indigenous knowledge systems into the teaching of sciences in Africa’, American Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 668–678.
- Agrawal, A., 1995, ‘Indigenous and scientific knowledge: some critical comments’, Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 3–6.
- Akena, F.A., 2010, The catastrophe of education in civil war areas, Uganda-Saar- brucken, Germany: Lambert Academics.
- Akena, F.A., 2012, ‘Critical analysis of the production of Western knowledge and its implications for indigenous knowledge and decolonisation’, Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 599–619.
- Altbach, P.G., 1987, The knowledge context: comparative perspectives on the distribution of knowledge, Albany: State University of New York Press.
- Anyanwu, K.C., 1989, ‘The problem of method in African philosophy’, in C.S. Momoh, ed., The substance of African philosophy, Washington DC: Brooking Institute, pp. 122–130.
- Asante, M.K., 1990, The Afrocentric idea, Utah: Temple University Press.
- Asante, M.K., 2002, Indigenous knowledge and the politics of classification, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
- Battiste, M., 2002, Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy in first nations’ education: a literature review with recommendations, Ottawa: Apamuwek Institute.
- Boateng, F., 1990, ‘African traditional education: a tool for intergenerational communication’, in K.A. Molefi and W.A. Kariamu, eds., African culture: the rhythms of unity, Trenton: African World Press, pp. 109–122.
- Botha, L.R., 2010, ‘Indigenous knowledge as culturally-centred education in South Africa’, Africa Education Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 222–238.
- Breidlid, A., 2003, ‘Ideology, cultural values and education: A critical analysis of Curriculum 2005 in South Africa’, Perspectives in Education, Vol. 21, No. 2,
- pp. 83–96.
- Cassie, Q., 2009, ‘Globalization and science education: the implications for indigenous knowledge production systems’, International Education Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 76–89.
- Cross, M., Mungadi, R. and Rouhani, S., 2002, ‘From policy to practice: curricu- lum reform in South African education’, Comparative Education, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 171–187.
- Dei, G.J.S., 2002, ‘Rethinking the role of indigenous knowledge in the academy’, The Re- search Network for New Approaches to Lifelong Learning, NALL Working Paper, No. 58. Department of Science and Technology, ‘Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy, 2004’, Pretoria: Department of Science and Technology, (https://www.dst.gov.za/images/pdfs/IKS_Policy%20PDF.pdf ). 18 June 2021.
- Edewor, P.A., 2003, ‘Basic concepts in culture’, in M. Adedimeji, ed., Globalization and the survival of the Nigerian cultural and linguistic heritage: The American Paradigm, Department of English, University of Ilorin.
- Fanon, F., 1963, The wretched of the earth. New York: Grove Weidenfeld.
- Goduka, I.N., 2000, ‘African/indigenous philosophies: Legitimising spiritually centred wisdoms within the academy’, in P. Higgs, N. Vakalisa, T. Mda and N. Assie-Lumumba, eds., African voices in education, Cape Town: Juta.
- Gyekye, K., 1987, An essay on African philosophical thought: the Akan conceptual scheme, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Habib, A., 2014, ‘Vice-Chancellor’s address: US chief executive officers and executives breakfast’, (http://www.witsfoundation.co.za/images/fullspeech.pdf ). 2 April 2021.
- Higgs, P., 2010, Towards an indigenous African epistemology of community in education research’, Procedia Social and Behavioural Sciences, Vol. 2, pp. 2414–2421.
- Hofstede, G., 1984, Culture’s consequences, international differences in work-related values, New Delhi: Sage Publications.
- Hountondji, P.J., 1995, ‘Producing knowledge in Africa today; the Second Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola Distinguished Lecture’, African Studies Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 1–10.
- Hountondji, P.J., 1996, African philosophy: myths and reality, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
- Hountondji, P.J., 2002, Knowledge appropriation in a post-colonial context’, in H.C. Odora, ed., Indigenous knowledge and the integration of knowledge systems: towards a philosophy of articulation, Claremont: New Africa Books, pp. 23–38.
- Idowu, H.A., 2020, ‘Benchmarking global best practices for improving higher edu- cation quality in Africa’, in M. Sony, K.T. Karingada and N. Baporikar, eds., Quality management implementation in higher education practices, models and case studies, Hershey, PA: IGI Global, pp. 72–90.
- Ilo, P.I., n.d., ‘Acquisition, preservation and accessibility of indigenous knowledge in academic libraries in Nigeria: the place of ICT’, Ikenga: International Journal of Institute of African Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 468–488.
- Iwara, I.E., 2015, Cultural hegemony and Africa’s development process’, African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 120–130.
- Kante, P., 2004, ‘Indigenous knowledge and environmental concerns in Africa’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 4, No. 22, pp. 31–44.
- Kaya, H.O. and Seleti, Y.N., 2013, ‘African indigenous knowledge systems and rel- evance of higher education in South Africa’, The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 30–44.
- Le Grange, L., 2007, ‘Integrating Western and indigenous knowledge systems: the basis for effective science education in South Africa’, International Review of Education, Vol. 53, pp. 577–591.
- Lowy, R., 1995, ‘Eurocentrism, ethnic studies and the new world order: toward a critical paradigm’, Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 25, pp. 712–736.
- Mangena, M., 2008, ‘Address by Minister of Science and Technology on the occa- sion of the induction of the Ministerial Advisory Committee’, 22 April 2008, Department of Science and Technology. (http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2008/0842314451001.htm). 3 March 2021.
- McCarthy, E.D., 1996, Knowledge as culture: the new sociology of knowledge, London: Routledge.
- Memmi, A., 1969, The colonizer and the colonized, Boston: Beacon Press.
- Mimiko, N.O. and Afolabi, O.S., 2012, ‘Globalization and cultural revival in Africa: what has Things Fall Apart got to do with it?’ in C. Anyadike, C. and K.A Ayoola, eds., Blazing the Path; Fifty Years of Things Fall Apart, Nigeria: HEBN Publishers.
- Mkabela, Q., 2005, ‘Using the Afrocentric method in researching indigenous African culture’, The Qualitative Report, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 178–189.
- Mmola, S., 2010, ‘A survey of perceptions of IKS programme at North-West University (Mafikeng Campus)’, Unpublished Manuscript, IKS Programme: North-West University.
- Mudimbe, V.Y., 1988, The invention of Africa, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
- Muya, S., 2007, ‘The efficacy of traditional knowledge in African education’, in The Conference on Education and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Africa, College of Business Education, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2–3 August 2007.
- Obioha, U.P., 2010, ‘Globalization and the future of African culture’, Philosophical Papers and Reviews, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1–8.
- Oladipo, O., 1992, The idea of African philosophy: a critical study of the major orienta- tions in contemporary African philosophy, Ibadan: Molecular Publishers.
- Opata, D., 1998, Essays on Igbo world view, Nsukka (Nigeria): AP Express Publishers and Auto-Century Publishing Company Limited.
- Pietersen, H.J., 2005, ‘Knowledge development in industrial/organizational Psy- chology (South Africa)’, South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 78–88.
- Raymond, A., 2011, ‘IKS programme and multi-media technology at University of North-West, Mafikeng Campus: prospects and challenges’, Unpublished Manuscript, University of North-West, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences.
- Semali, L., 1994, The social and political context of literacy education for pastoral societies and other marginalised transient societies, Eric Family Literacy Files. Bloomington: Indiana University.
- Semali, L., 1999, ‘Community as a classroom: dilemmas of valuing African indig- enous literacy in education’, International Review of Education, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 305–319.
- Smith, A., 2002, ‘Power and hierarchy of knowledge’, Geofomm, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 230–248.
- Smith, L.T., 1999, Decolonising methodologies, research and indigenous peoples, Dune- din, New Zealand: University of Otago Press.
- Teferra, D. and Altbach, P.G., 2004, ‘African higher education: challenges for the 21st century’, Higher Education, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 21–50.
- Thaman, K.H., 2000, ‘Interfacing global and indigenous knowledge for improved learning’. (http://www.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/aceidconfb/themetwo.pdf). 17 July 2018.
- Thaman, K.H., 2009, ‘Towards cultural democracy in teaching and learning with specific reference to Pacific island nations (PINs)’, International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Vol. 3, No. 2, Article 6.
- Thiophene, H., 1995, ‘Post-colonial literatures and counter-discourse’, in B. Ashcroft, G. Griffiths and H. Thiophene, eds., The Post-Colonial Studies Reader, New York: Routledge, pp. 13–24.
- Thrupp, L.A., 1989, ‘Legitimizing local knowledge: from displacement to empowerment for Third World people’, Agriculture and Human Values, Summer Issue, pp. 13–24.
- Van Lieres, B., 2005, ‘Culture and the limits to liberation’, in S. Robins, ed., Limits to liberation after apartheid: citizenship, governance and culture, Cape Town: David Philip.
- Walker, R. S. and Hountondji, P. J., 1985, ‘The Pitfalls of Being Different’, Diogenes, Vol. 33, No. 131, pp. 46–56.
- Walter, D., 2002, ‘Colonial and post-colonial discourses in Social Sciences: a cultural critique of colonialism’, Latin American Research Review, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 120–134.
- Warren, D.M., 1991, ‘The role of indigenous knowledge in facilitating the Agricul- tural extension process’, in International Workshop on Agricultural Knowledge Systems and the Role of Extension, Bad Boll, Germany, 21–24 May 1991.
- World Bank., 1998, ‘Indigenous knowledge for development: a framework for action’. (https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/388381468741607213/indigenous-knowledge-for-development-a- framework-for-action). 21 June 2021.
References
Abah, J., Mashebe, P. and Denuga, D.D., 2015, ‘Prospect of integrating African indigenous knowledge systems into the teaching of sciences in Africa’, American Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 668–678.
Agrawal, A., 1995, ‘Indigenous and scientific knowledge: some critical comments’, Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 3–6.
Akena, F.A., 2010, The catastrophe of education in civil war areas, Uganda-Saar- brucken, Germany: Lambert Academics.
Akena, F.A., 2012, ‘Critical analysis of the production of Western knowledge and its implications for indigenous knowledge and decolonisation’, Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 599–619.
Altbach, P.G., 1987, The knowledge context: comparative perspectives on the distribution of knowledge, Albany: State University of New York Press.
Anyanwu, K.C., 1989, ‘The problem of method in African philosophy’, in C.S. Momoh, ed., The substance of African philosophy, Washington DC: Brooking Institute, pp. 122–130.
Asante, M.K., 1990, The Afrocentric idea, Utah: Temple University Press.
Asante, M.K., 2002, Indigenous knowledge and the politics of classification, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Battiste, M., 2002, Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy in first nations’ education: a literature review with recommendations, Ottawa: Apamuwek Institute.
Boateng, F., 1990, ‘African traditional education: a tool for intergenerational communication’, in K.A. Molefi and W.A. Kariamu, eds., African culture: the rhythms of unity, Trenton: African World Press, pp. 109–122.
Botha, L.R., 2010, ‘Indigenous knowledge as culturally-centred education in South Africa’, Africa Education Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 222–238.
Breidlid, A., 2003, ‘Ideology, cultural values and education: A critical analysis of Curriculum 2005 in South Africa’, Perspectives in Education, Vol. 21, No. 2,
pp. 83–96.
Cassie, Q., 2009, ‘Globalization and science education: the implications for indigenous knowledge production systems’, International Education Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 76–89.
Cross, M., Mungadi, R. and Rouhani, S., 2002, ‘From policy to practice: curricu- lum reform in South African education’, Comparative Education, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 171–187.
Dei, G.J.S., 2002, ‘Rethinking the role of indigenous knowledge in the academy’, The Re- search Network for New Approaches to Lifelong Learning, NALL Working Paper, No. 58. Department of Science and Technology, ‘Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy, 2004’, Pretoria: Department of Science and Technology, (https://www.dst.gov.za/images/pdfs/IKS_Policy%20PDF.pdf ). 18 June 2021.
Edewor, P.A., 2003, ‘Basic concepts in culture’, in M. Adedimeji, ed., Globalization and the survival of the Nigerian cultural and linguistic heritage: The American Paradigm, Department of English, University of Ilorin.
Fanon, F., 1963, The wretched of the earth. New York: Grove Weidenfeld.
Goduka, I.N., 2000, ‘African/indigenous philosophies: Legitimising spiritually centred wisdoms within the academy’, in P. Higgs, N. Vakalisa, T. Mda and N. Assie-Lumumba, eds., African voices in education, Cape Town: Juta.
Gyekye, K., 1987, An essay on African philosophical thought: the Akan conceptual scheme, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Habib, A., 2014, ‘Vice-Chancellor’s address: US chief executive officers and executives breakfast’, (http://www.witsfoundation.co.za/images/fullspeech.pdf ). 2 April 2021.
Higgs, P., 2010, Towards an indigenous African epistemology of community in education research’, Procedia Social and Behavioural Sciences, Vol. 2, pp. 2414–2421.
Hofstede, G., 1984, Culture’s consequences, international differences in work-related values, New Delhi: Sage Publications.
Hountondji, P.J., 1995, ‘Producing knowledge in Africa today; the Second Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola Distinguished Lecture’, African Studies Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 1–10.
Hountondji, P.J., 1996, African philosophy: myths and reality, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Hountondji, P.J., 2002, Knowledge appropriation in a post-colonial context’, in H.C. Odora, ed., Indigenous knowledge and the integration of knowledge systems: towards a philosophy of articulation, Claremont: New Africa Books, pp. 23–38.
Idowu, H.A., 2020, ‘Benchmarking global best practices for improving higher edu- cation quality in Africa’, in M. Sony, K.T. Karingada and N. Baporikar, eds., Quality management implementation in higher education practices, models and case studies, Hershey, PA: IGI Global, pp. 72–90.
Ilo, P.I., n.d., ‘Acquisition, preservation and accessibility of indigenous knowledge in academic libraries in Nigeria: the place of ICT’, Ikenga: International Journal of Institute of African Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 468–488.
Iwara, I.E., 2015, Cultural hegemony and Africa’s development process’, African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 120–130.
Kante, P., 2004, ‘Indigenous knowledge and environmental concerns in Africa’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 4, No. 22, pp. 31–44.
Kaya, H.O. and Seleti, Y.N., 2013, ‘African indigenous knowledge systems and rel- evance of higher education in South Africa’, The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 30–44.
Le Grange, L., 2007, ‘Integrating Western and indigenous knowledge systems: the basis for effective science education in South Africa’, International Review of Education, Vol. 53, pp. 577–591.
Lowy, R., 1995, ‘Eurocentrism, ethnic studies and the new world order: toward a critical paradigm’, Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 25, pp. 712–736.
Mangena, M., 2008, ‘Address by Minister of Science and Technology on the occa- sion of the induction of the Ministerial Advisory Committee’, 22 April 2008, Department of Science and Technology. (http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2008/0842314451001.htm). 3 March 2021.
McCarthy, E.D., 1996, Knowledge as culture: the new sociology of knowledge, London: Routledge.
Memmi, A., 1969, The colonizer and the colonized, Boston: Beacon Press.
Mimiko, N.O. and Afolabi, O.S., 2012, ‘Globalization and cultural revival in Africa: what has Things Fall Apart got to do with it?’ in C. Anyadike, C. and K.A Ayoola, eds., Blazing the Path; Fifty Years of Things Fall Apart, Nigeria: HEBN Publishers.
Mkabela, Q., 2005, ‘Using the Afrocentric method in researching indigenous African culture’, The Qualitative Report, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 178–189.
Mmola, S., 2010, ‘A survey of perceptions of IKS programme at North-West University (Mafikeng Campus)’, Unpublished Manuscript, IKS Programme: North-West University.
Mudimbe, V.Y., 1988, The invention of Africa, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Muya, S., 2007, ‘The efficacy of traditional knowledge in African education’, in The Conference on Education and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Africa, College of Business Education, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2–3 August 2007.
Obioha, U.P., 2010, ‘Globalization and the future of African culture’, Philosophical Papers and Reviews, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1–8.
Oladipo, O., 1992, The idea of African philosophy: a critical study of the major orienta- tions in contemporary African philosophy, Ibadan: Molecular Publishers.
Opata, D., 1998, Essays on Igbo world view, Nsukka (Nigeria): AP Express Publishers and Auto-Century Publishing Company Limited.
Pietersen, H.J., 2005, ‘Knowledge development in industrial/organizational Psy- chology (South Africa)’, South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 78–88.
Raymond, A., 2011, ‘IKS programme and multi-media technology at University of North-West, Mafikeng Campus: prospects and challenges’, Unpublished Manuscript, University of North-West, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences.
Semali, L., 1994, The social and political context of literacy education for pastoral societies and other marginalised transient societies, Eric Family Literacy Files. Bloomington: Indiana University.
Semali, L., 1999, ‘Community as a classroom: dilemmas of valuing African indig- enous literacy in education’, International Review of Education, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 305–319.
Smith, A., 2002, ‘Power and hierarchy of knowledge’, Geofomm, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 230–248.
Smith, L.T., 1999, Decolonising methodologies, research and indigenous peoples, Dune- din, New Zealand: University of Otago Press.
Teferra, D. and Altbach, P.G., 2004, ‘African higher education: challenges for the 21st century’, Higher Education, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 21–50.
Thaman, K.H., 2000, ‘Interfacing global and indigenous knowledge for improved learning’. (http://www.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/aceidconfb/themetwo.pdf). 17 July 2018.
Thaman, K.H., 2009, ‘Towards cultural democracy in teaching and learning with specific reference to Pacific island nations (PINs)’, International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Vol. 3, No. 2, Article 6.
Thiophene, H., 1995, ‘Post-colonial literatures and counter-discourse’, in B. Ashcroft, G. Griffiths and H. Thiophene, eds., The Post-Colonial Studies Reader, New York: Routledge, pp. 13–24.
Thrupp, L.A., 1989, ‘Legitimizing local knowledge: from displacement to empowerment for Third World people’, Agriculture and Human Values, Summer Issue, pp. 13–24.
Van Lieres, B., 2005, ‘Culture and the limits to liberation’, in S. Robins, ed., Limits to liberation after apartheid: citizenship, governance and culture, Cape Town: David Philip.
Walker, R. S. and Hountondji, P. J., 1985, ‘The Pitfalls of Being Different’, Diogenes, Vol. 33, No. 131, pp. 46–56.
Walter, D., 2002, ‘Colonial and post-colonial discourses in Social Sciences: a cultural critique of colonialism’, Latin American Research Review, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 120–134.
Warren, D.M., 1991, ‘The role of indigenous knowledge in facilitating the Agricul- tural extension process’, in International Workshop on Agricultural Knowledge Systems and the Role of Extension, Bad Boll, Germany, 21–24 May 1991.
World Bank., 1998, ‘Indigenous knowledge for development: a framework for action’. (https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/388381468741607213/indigenous-knowledge-for-development-a- framework-for-action). 21 June 2021.