A leading professor of Philosophy at Lagos State University (LASU), Oseni Afisi, has delivered a scathing critique of Africa’s academic dependency on Western intellectual traditions, blaming them for the continent’s enduring identity conflict, cultural alienation, and intellectual stagnation.

Speaking during his inaugural lecture, titled “The Oracle and the Open Society: Rethinking the Evolution of Authority and the Pursuit of Epistemic Justice in African Philosophical Thought,” held on Tuesday at the LASU campus, Ojo, Prof. Afisi argued that Africa’s educational system has been hijacked by foreign theories that continue to alienate generations of African scholars from their roots.

“For centuries, African knowledge systems, whether in medicine, governance, philosophy, or environmental management, were systematically devalued and dismissed as ‘superstition’ by colonial powers. European colonisers imposed their educational models, replacing indigenous wisdom with Western science, philosophy, and religion,” Afisi stated.

He warned that this intellectual dependency has perpetuated a sense of inferiority among African scholars, creating a damaging tug-of-war between ancestral wisdom and foreign doctrines. “Indigenous systems such as Ifá, which are coherent, interpretive, and ethically grounded, were rebranded as irrational. Today, African schools and universities continue to embrace Western philosophers, scientists, and theorists, leaving students disconnected from their cultural heritage,” he said.

Prof. Afisi called for urgent reforms in Africa’s education system, urging governments and policymakers to overhaul curricula at all levels to embed African perspectives in science, logic, and ethics. “Curricula at all levels of education must be reformed to include African perspectives in science, logic, and ethics. Beyond token inclusion, educational content should reflect the depth, complexity, and contemporary relevance of African philosophies,” he noted.

He further advocated for the formal recognition of traditional knowledge systems and their integration into modern governance and healthcare structures. “Public intellectuals and philosophers should be appointed to policy advisory roles to ensure reflective and culturally sensitive governance. I advocate for the inclusion of Philosophy as part of courses taught in our JUPEB or A/Levels system in Nigeria,” Afisi added.

Highlighting the broader socio-political consequences, Afisi linked Africa’s underdevelopment to intellectual, political, and economic dependency on foreign powers. “One of the most significant problems facing Africa is epistemic hegemony and intellectual marginalisation. Closely related to this problem is the crisis of identity and epistemic fragmentation,” he warned, adding that leadership failures and ethical decline have worsened the continent’s challenges.

The lecture served as a bold call for African self-reflection, with Afisi insisting that reclaiming intellectual sovereignty is crucial to tackling Africa’s development crisis and restoring cultural pride.