Power, Education, and Change in Africa

It is a privilege to have received the opportunity to give the first distinguished lecture at Karl Kumm University at Vom under the leadership of Professor Audu Nanven Gambo. It was such an exciting moment for the entire student body and the entire management. Thank you.

The modern debate on the evolution of Africa has revealed how closely power, education, and social change interact to both spur on and impede growth. The historical confrontations with colonization, state-building, and political power of the continent have shaped the function of education as a vehicle for societal reform. These challenges have affected our view of and use of schooling. The complex link between education and power has had a major influence on the course of Africa’s development, all things considered. Education has been used not only for personal development but also for maintaining the status quo and exerting population control during most of Africa’s history, hence preserving the integrity of the continent. It has not only helped to create power in post-colonial settings but also challenged accepted systems of governance, therefore generating ongoing conflict between what education should be and how it may be used to propel change.

  Thus, one must look at the three fundamental types of power—political, economic, and social—to grasp this dynamic. Every one of these kinds of power is very important in the development of African educational systems. The ways in which various types of power are mixed affect the people who have access to education, the features of that education, and the results generated for society at large. Political power in many African nations determines the distribution of resources, educational policy, and curriculum, therefore influencing the course of education. Economic power affects who can afford good education in the meantime, which in turn affects the job market, social mobility, and national economic growth. Social power shapes educational materials; it is usually expressed via cultural and traditional values. Power supports or questions the prevalent societal norms and roles.

  While trying to understand the historical link between power and education in Africa, the legacy of colonialism is most certainly the most crucial factor to consider. Throughout their period of colonial rule, European countries established educational institutions intended to serve the economic interests of their countries. Education aimed to achieve this. This legacy of exclusion and control has affected African education for decades, leaving many African nations with disjointed educational institutions disconnected from their social reality and economic needs.

  After gaining their freedom, African leaders worked to change their educational institutions such that they would be in accordance with national development goals and that education would be available to a greater spectrum of individuals. Still, the process of educational reform was made more challenging by the presence of relics of colonial education institutions in addition to political unrest, inadequate funding, and the restrictions of economic modernism. Many times, the political elite—who had attended colonial institutions—kept their control over decision-making even after their schooling. This guaranteed that rather than allowing significant change, education would always be a tool for maintaining power. Consequently, many African nations’ educational systems kept pushing inequality, so limiting access to education for underprivileged groups—especially women, rural people, and ethnic minorities.

  Notwithstanding the challenges that have been thrown forward, education has remained a major transforming agent for Africa. Throughout history, educated elites have driven political reform, social fairness, and independence.  Most African independence movement intellectuals were educated in Western countries, but they used their knowledge to question colonial authority and demand African autonomy.  Education empowered people to strive for change and assess their political and social conditions in this atmosphere. Education also turned into a tool for personal emancipation. After Africa acquired its freedom, education has kept its importance, especially as a means of supporting democracy, challenging long-standing political regimes, and advancing social movements.

  Another crucial role that education plays in deciding the course of Africa is in fostering economic development. In countries where education systems are more easily available and inclusive of a greater spectrum of individuals, there is a higher likelihood for upward social mobility and economic growth. For the educational systems situated in Africa, the notable rise in the number of young people presents both possibilities and challenges. Africa could rise globally in technical innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative ability. This is so because the continent boasts a huge population consisting of youthful people. Still, this promise can only be fulfilled if African countries invest in their educational institutions and guarantee that young people have the tools they need to flourish in an always-changing environment. To ensure that education can meet the demands of a global economy that calls for intellectual flexibility, creativity, and invention, this calls not only for raising the number of persons who have access to it but also for improving the quality of it.

  Given Africa’s entry into the twenty-first century, the value of education in deciding the political and economic course of the continent is rising at an unheard-of rate. Education is a vehicle for the overall change of society as well as a tool for personal development. Possible results of this are the empowerment of people, the challenging of unfair systems, and the building of a future that is more equal and sustainable.

Colonialism shaped the intellectual and cultural fabric of civilizations under colonial rule as well as land and resource acquisition. By means of education, colonial authorities sought to impose mental control over the Africans. This was carried out to make sure the African people followed the policies endorsing European supremacy. Through the educational system then in use during colonial times, a class of enslaved people meant to serve the colonial administration and help the exploitation of African resources was supposed to be produced.

  The basis upon which the colonial education system in Africa was first developed was control. By imposing their educational models on African people, the European colonists undermined local knowledge systems, languages, and cultural practices. The main goal of this project was to produce a small, educated elite who would act as middlemen between the colonial powers and the more general African people. Conversely, this system was not meant to make the lives of most Africans better. Most of the populace was either compelled to follow a curriculum that failed to sufficiently equip them with the required skills and knowledge or was not allowed to engage in official education. This led to the building of exclusive, divorced from the demands of African civilization’s educational institutions throughout colonial administration.

  Many African nations still today benefit from this colonial era educational approach that was devised. The objective of post-colonial Africa has been to transform these inherited systems into something that captures the needs, values, and aspirations of African civilizations.  Even though many African nations have modernized their educational institutions, colonialism still shapes education. Colonial schools stressed Western ideas, languages, and knowledge over African cultures, languages, and worldviews. This legacy has thus led to the creation of an educational system that regularly values Western knowledge more than indigenous knowledge. Many African people have thus grown to feel inferior and culturally alienated.

  One of the traits of colonial education that has kept its impact throughout time is the predominance of foreign languages in African schools. The main languages of instruction were those of the colonial powers—English, French, Portuguese, and others—which drove the indigenous African languages to the background. The educated elite, who speak these languages fluently, and most people who might not have access to top-notch education in their home tongue, live in different spheres. The adoption of foreign languages in education has produced this separation that has had a long-lasting effect on African civilizations. This linguistic barrier has preserved residents’ incapacity to completely participate in political, social, and economic life as well as their inability to have equal access to educational possibilities. Another element influencing the loss of cultural identity is the belief that indigenous languages are less valuable or less able to express complex ideas in contrast to European languages.

  Another result of colonial education passed down to the next generations is the ongoing focus on academic knowledge at the price of practical and technical skills. During colonial control, education was meant to produce a limited number of people who could satisfy colonial government or administration criteria. This system overlooked the instruction of practical skills, which were vital for the mass of the population, while it gave Western knowledge—including European history, literature, and mathematics—top priority. While vocational and technical education is still underdeveloped in many African nations today, academic education—especially in the humanities and sciences—remains preferred in many of them. This has resulted in a mismatch between the skills taught in schools and the needs of the labor market, therefore impeding economic progress and worsening the unemployment rate among young people.

  The educational system during the colonial era bolstered the economic institutions supporting colonial exploitation as well. African students received the education required to function in administrative roles in the colonial system or engage in low-paying manual labor jobs. A lack of emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurship led to a great number of Africans not being able to question the status quo and develop self-sustaining economies. Although there are many successful stories, the legacy of colonial education continues to be a major impediment to African development. Major issues that require attention include the predominance of foreign languages, preference for academic education over vocational training, and the continuing access gap.

To address these challenges depends on major changes in the conception and delivery of education. African countries must realize that education is about developing critical thinking, creativity, and invention as much as knowledge acquisition. The future of Africa depends on the development of an education system that enables Africans to question the status quo, build economies able to support themselves, and engage in the worldwide knowledge economy.

The change at the heart of the change is a shift in education priorities. The continent will grow by a factor of three in 50 years and has never experienced anything like it. The majority of this growth will be concentrated in cities, which will experience a sharp increase in the young population. The demography of the continent offers a chance, even if it is a challenge. The educated youth of Africa could be the spark of a new era of technological advancement, entrepreneurship, and invention. However, if there is no proper investment in education, the continent risks seeing an even greater divide between city and country, between educated and uneducated, and between the rich and the poor. Africa’s educational systems must be changed to better satisfy the several needs of the inhabitants of the continent. Unlocking this potential requires this key. In an inclusive educational system, accessibility and quality should be given first attention. Guaranteeing that children from all walks of life, whether they are living in rural or urban environments, coming from a variety of socioeconomic origins, or coming from marginalized communities, depends on increasing access to education. The enhancement of the quality of education depends on the process of matching it with the demands of Africa’s always-shifting labor market. Many African educational institutions that were founded in the past were meant to provide workers for conventional sectors like mining and agriculture. Still, the globe is changing significantly right now, and Africa must teach its young people a more varied economic structure. Among these policies is the improvement of vocational and technical education, which has often been underlined in preference for academic education.

  Africa cannot afford to lag since technology is becoming a more significant engine of the world economy. To properly include technology in educational institutions, governments, teachers, and politicians must cooperate at all levels of education. For this, one needs the supply of digital infrastructure at educational institutions, the instruction of instructors in the application of technology, and the development of educational programs, including coding, digital literacy, and data science. Moreover, the spread of digital platforms and online education presents Africa with a chance to bridge the educational gap by means of flexible and reasonably priced access to world-class quality learning resources.

  Other than the use of technology, it is equally important to have a close linkage of educational institutions to the African reality. This includes a recognition of the value of indigenous knowledge and its application in the curriculum. In the agriculture, environment, and health sectors, for instance, indigenous knowledge has strengths that can inform current solutions. This is particularly important as African countries seek to achieve sustainable development. Apart from safeguarding the continent’s cultural heritage, the application of this knowledge is useful in finding practical solutions that suit the situations in which they are to be used to solve problems facing the communities where they exist.

  Furthermore, aggravating the situation is the need to aggressively advance social and emotional learning as well as leadership and entrepreneurship in African educational institutions. Though they are crucial for the growth of well-rounded people who can benefit their communities, these soft skills are occasionally disregarded in conventional classroom environments. Particularly, the growth of political stability, efficient government, and active involvement in civic politics depends on leadership qualities. A new generation of leaders committed to the ideals of democracy, human rights, and social justice could be produced via education, but only indirectly. Emphasizing the growth of leadership abilities in the next generations would help one to achieve this.

  Reform of education depends on addressing the structural issues still hindering advancement. Funding remains one of the most basic challenges facing many African countries in terms of the transformation of their educational system. Even though quality education is crucial for development, the governments of many African countries still pay lip attention to its funding. Obviously, the neglect and inadequate funding in the education sector constitute the reason for many recurring problems in the education sector. Not only for national governments but also for international donors and corporate sector actors, a rise in the amount of money spent on education should be the priority. Governments have to answer for their activities to guarantee that monies are distributed to enhance access, quality, and equity and that budgets for education are run suitably.

  Apart from ensuring enough money, it is imperative to enhance the administration of educational systems. Among these are improvements in institutional capacity, teacher preparation, and increased openness and encouragement in educational management. Policies backed by data and informed by research on what works and what does not work in the framework of Africa must lead to educational changes. Policymakers should carefully work with teachers, students, and communities to create policies that fit the needs and conditions of every community rather than focus on answers that are generally applicable.

Achieving change in Africa depends on our capacity to use education’s power to produce political, social, and economic transformation. There is no doubt that our past with colonialism still clogs the wheel of educational institutions across Africa, but then, this does not in any way affect the future of Africa. The truth is, if Africa can take education as an empowering tool to advance equity and encourage innovation amongst its people, it can definitely create a strong educational framework that prepares its people for global challenges. If the right changes are carried out, the youth of Africa might be the engine behind a fresh phase of development, possibility, and change. This new age will welcome the opportunities of the future and go past the limitations of the past.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE