Authors: Adedeji T. A., Matanmi K. A., Oyero S. A., Awoniyi, O. M., Omidun D. O.
Abstract: The field of African Studies emerged during the colonial period, profoundly shaped by Western imperial interests and epistemologies that sought to classify, control, and exploit African societies. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, academic institutions across Europe and North America formalized African Studies as a field, often driven by anthropological, ethnographic, and sociological methods that reinforced racial hierarchies and justified colonial rule. Despite independence movements and the subsequent wave of postcolonial critique in the mid-20th century, African Studies remains marked by colonial-era legacies that continue to influence methodological choices and scholarly priorities. This paper examines the ongoing impact of these colonial foundations on African Studies, interrogating how these origins have been both perpetuated and challenged in modern scholarship. Through the lens of decolonial and postcolonial theories, this study critically engages with the movement to decolonise African Studies, emphasizing the necessity of an epistemological shift that centers African voices, indigenous knowledge systems, and culturally rooted methodologies. The paper proposes new directions for African Studies that reflect the complexities and realities of African societies in a globalised world, ultimately calling for an academic reformation that honors Africa’s historical and intellectual heritage.
