In most African classrooms, history is taught in fragments. Ask a secondary school student about their nation’s independence and they might recite a date or the name of a colonial governor.

But ask them about pre-colonial trade systems, the rise of ancient African empires, or the cultural wealth of indigenous kingdoms, and you’ll likely be met with silence.

That silence is not accidental. It is the product of decades of curriculum design that continues to sideline African knowledge, diminish local heroes, and elevate foreign narratives.

For a continent as historically rich and diverse as Africa, this gap is more than just educational—it’s deeply political. How history is taught shapes how people see themselves, their nations, and their futures.

A Curriculum Built on Colonial Foundations

Source: Pinterest

The problem begins with the foundation. Many African countries inherited their education systems from colonial powers—Britain, France, Portugal—along with the biases embedded in them.

These systems were never designed to empower Africans. Instead, they were tools for control, designed to create subjects who knew more about Queen Victoria or Napoleon than about Shaka Zulu or Queen Amina.

Decades after independence, too little has changed. While modern African countries have made curriculum revisions, many still follow Eurocentric narratives.

Colonial conquests are discussed in terms of “civilisation,” and African resistance is often framed as disobedience or rebellion. Local achievements are left out, while European explorers and missionaries are glorified.

When African students learn more about World War II than the Biafran War, more about Julius Caesar than Mansa Musa—the richest man in recorded history—it signals whose stories matter and whose don’t.

The Erasure of Pre-Colonial Civilisations

Source: Pinterest

One of the biggest tragedies in African education is the erasure of pre-colonial African greatness. From the University of Timbuktu to the Great Zimbabwe stone ruins, from the Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana to the Kingdom of Kongo in Central Africa, Africa’s past is rich with complex societies, advanced economies, and intellectual traditions.

But how often are these stories told in classrooms?

In many textbooks, Africa’s story begins with colonisation—as if there was nothing of value before European contact. This narrow portrayal not only distorts history, it reinforces harmful stereotypes that Africa was “discovered” or “civilised” by outsiders.

The truth is Africa had thriving trade routes, architectural feats, organised armies, and systems of governance long before colonial maps were drawn.

By not teaching this history, we are raising generations who are disconnected from the genius of their ancestors.

Language and the Problem of Translation

Another reason African history is misrepresented is because it is often translated through Western lenses—both literally and figuratively. Much of Africa’s historical record was oral, passed down through griots, elders, and community rituals. These oral traditions hold rich insights about migration, conflict, gender roles, spirituality, and science.

However, the colonial academic system dismissed oral history as unreliable. Written records, mainly those kept by European travellers, missionaries, and colonial officers, were considered superior. This meant that what was preserved, published, and taught often reflected outsider interpretations.

Even when African history is finally written or taught, it is filtered through the language of the coloniser. Concepts rooted in African cosmology or values get lost in translation, simplified, or misinterpreted. Language, in this way, becomes another barrier between African people and their own truth.

The Impact on Identity and Confidence

When history is taught wrong, or not at all, it does more than just distort the past. It weakens a society’s sense of self. Students grow up without a clear understanding of their roots. They learn to admire the achievements of others while undervaluing their own.

This creates identity confusion. It builds inferiority complexes. When children don't see themselves in the stories of innovation, leadership, and excellence, they grow up believing greatness lies elsewhere.

That’s how a continent rich in culture, talent, and innovation ends up feeling like it’s playing catch-up to the rest of the world.

The teaching of history is not just about facts—it's about pride, continuity, and purpose. A generation disconnected from its past is more vulnerable to manipulation, division, and exploitation.

History as a Tool for Unity—or Division

Source: Pinterest

One reason African leaders have sometimes been reluctant to overhaul history education is because of its power.

History, when told accurately, can challenge political elites, expose colonial trauma, or uncover ethnic tensions that were deliberately hidden. But history can also be a force for unity.

By revisiting the contributions of different ethnic groups to national liberation, for example, countries can foster a sense of shared struggle. By teaching about Pan-African thinkers—like Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, or Amílcar Cabral—young people can see themselves as part of a broader African movement with global impact.

Ignoring history because it is complex or uncomfortable does not erase the past. It only creates space for misinformation, propaganda, or foreign narratives to take root.

Why It Matters in a Digital World

In today’s world of social media and AI, the stakes are even higher. If African history isn’t taught in schools, it will be taught by someone else online—often inaccurately.

Algorithms prioritise content that is already dominant, which means if African voices aren’t telling African stories, Western versions of those stories will fill the void.

AI tools that generate historical content (like chatbots, search engines, or education apps) are usually trained on Western datasets.

As a result, they perpetuate the same biases found in outdated textbooks. This creates a cycle where Africans search for knowledge and find distorted versions of themselves.

To break that cycle, we must create and protect our own archives, digitise local histories, support African historians, and invest in technology that centres African voices.

What Needs to Change

Source: Pinterest

Fixing history education in Africa isn’t just about adding names and dates. It’s about changing how we value knowledge. That means:

• Rewriting curricula to include pre-colonial African achievements, philosophies, and leaders.

• Training teachers to approach history with critical thinking and cultural sensitivity.

• Publishing more books by African historians and distributing them widely.

• Translating local oral histories into accessible formats while preserving their essence.

• Encouraging local documentaries, podcasts, and art that explore African pasts from African perspectives.

• Reclaiming museum artefacts and challenging how African history is presented abroad.

In Conclusion

History is not just about the past. It’s about power, possibility, and perspective. When African history is taught right, it doesn’t just restore pride—it opens minds. It reminds us that we come from a continent of builders, thinkers, warriors, artists, and revolutionaries.

To reclaim our future, we must first reclaim our past. That begins in the classroom, on the page, and in every conversation that refuses to settle for half-told stories.

Let’s tell it right. Because it matters.