Abuja: The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Oseni Afisi, on Tuesday called for reform of Nigeria's education curricula to include African perspectives in science, logic and ethics. Afisi made the call while delivering the 108th LASU Inaugural Lecture Series at the university's main campus, Ojo.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Afisi is a Professor of Philosophy of Science, Logic and Critical Rationalism at the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, LASU. Afisi's lecture was entitled 'The Oracle and the Open Society: Rethinking of Evolution of Authority and the Pursuit of Epistemical Justice in African Philosophical Thought'. The inaugural lecturer said that teaching reforms should also emphasise dialogical reasoning, moral accountability and critical thinking rooted in local languages.
'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. Teaching methods should emphasise dialogical reasoning, moral accountability, and critical thinking rooted in local languages, oral traditions and community experiences. Textbooks and materials should be developed to support these aims,' he said.
He said that scholars must rise to the challenge of rethinking epistemology beyond the western cannon. 'Scholars should embrace epistemic pluralism by critically engaging indigenous knowledge systems and legitimising their knowledge within global discourse. Research must not only be methodologically rigorous but also socially responsive. Interdisciplinary work that bridges philosophy, science and African worldviews should be encouraged through collaborative platforms and funding schemes,' he added.
He said that there was an urgent need to institutionalise plural approaches to knowledge. He also said that national policies should formally recognise and regulate the interface between biomedicine and traditional healing systems. 'Artificial Intelligence systems must be built with transparency, fairness and communal accountability at their core. Algorithmic decision-making tools should be subjected to ethical scrutiny informed by African communitarian ethics such as Ubuntu. Innovation hubs and tech curricula should incorporate training in philosophy of technology and digital ethics from African perspectives,' he said.
According to Afisi, the lecture is not merely about comparing African and Western systems of knowledge. 'It is about addressing a deeper concern: the epistemic injustice suffered by African traditions under colonialism and their continued marginalisation in our institutions today. It is about reclaiming the integrity of indigenous epistemologies, engaging critically with global thought systems. Let us, therefore, re-imagine African societies where technological advancement is tempered by moral insight, where education is guided by critical consciousness and where governance reflects dialogue and dignity. May the African open society not be a borrowed idea, but a living tradition, critically reconstructed, philosophically grounded and ethically sustained,' he said.