conference

Africa Knows! It is time to decolonise minds

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Accepted Paper: C13-01. To panel C13.

Title of paper:

Author:

Olumuyiwa Kehinde (University of Zululand).

Long abstract paper:
Background: The correlate between Eurocentric conceptualization of Afrocentric ideas, innovation and epistemology can't be shelved from the concept and reality of decolonisation being double-edged both during the colonial era and the postcolonial period. Notably, the European Union (EU) as a body have designed and implemented many knowledge support programmes in Africa, but Eurocentric perspectives of Afrocentric ideas and innovations within a broader epistemology are viewed as subaltern. One of the crucial arguments hitherto is that because of socio-economic, political and technological power, African minds have not been substantially decolonized just as many minds from Europe, Global North and Western still nurse theory and practicableness of seeing other forms of knowledge development invisible, irrelevant, useless, unnecessary, trivial and inconsequential.

Objective: This study aimed at investigating African knowledge development by Africans and the conceptualization of such development by the Global North within education ecologies.

Methodology: Using structured interviews, and in relevance to this study, two world-class scholars of African descent (Prof. Abdul Kareem Bangura and Prof. Wande Abimbola) were interviewed and content analysis of their relevant works were conducted, while the interviews were also analysed thematically in close relation to reviews from Global North.

Findings: The findings indicated that many Africans have wealth of knowledge to produce innovative excellent idea just as some Europeans but EU have not spread and emphasise such excellence despite sponsoring and implementing many knowledge support programmes in Africa. It was also discovered that two minds (the Global South scholars and the Global North scholars) differentially view and accept knowledge production from certain quarters. While many African scholars still have their mind colonized as they berate their capacity to produce globally acceptable knowledge; several Eurocentric scholars from the Global North underrate knowledge produced by many scholars from the Global South, usually at a glance without thorough review or evaluation. This study suggests the need for African scholars to show their ingenuity using the indigenous epistemological system and the European's only when the need arises as well. Many Europeans also need to decolonise their minds about products of African epistemology and review the ideas/ innovations scientifically without prejudice, and without sidelining the sociocultural or sociopolitical aspects of knowledge produced. It is recommended that the EU should encourage both Africans and Europeans to create mutual and sustainable understanding, respect for their knowledge ecologies, and remove any colonialization-related prejudices.

Keywords: Decolonisation, Eurocentric Conceptualization, Afrocentric Ideas, Epistemology.