Review: The Humanities in Africa

Falola - front cover Falola - back cover

Reviews for The Humanities in Africa: Knowledge Production, Universities, and the Transformation of Society:

I listened to some of the ideas in this book when one of the essays was presented to us as a Convocation Lecture. Sharing it with the world is a gift that moves us forward in a provocative and perceptive manner. This is a first rate, intelligent and thoughtful book with limitless ideas to create a revolution in African education.

— Professor Oluyemisi Obilade, Vice-Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education

This is a “curriculum” on how to reorganize the African education system and transform the African societies, with bold suggestions on epistemologies, enduring values, concrete modalities of change, and affirmation of Black respectability. Compelling and vivid arguments, balanced with outstanding insights and reflections, make clear where this erudite scholar stands.

— Professor Femi Mimiko, former Vice Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University

With the choice of words, and the passion with which they are communicated, the book originates from a sacrificial and resolute heart seeking the collective redemption of African societies. It is a masterpiece of great profundity, seeking to invent as well as renew Africa’s place in the multiple universalisms of knowledge. With this masterpiece, the African academy can pragmatically transit to the center of knowledge from the periphery, shaking off the adversities of globalization.

— Professor Ayandiji Aina, Founding Vice Chancellor of Adeleke University and Provost, College of Management and Social Sciences, Babcock University.

A wide-ranging, inter-disciplinary, thought-provoking and magisterial treatment of the challenges of (re)defining the content and pedagogy of the Humanities in Africa — or, as the author proposes, African Humanities. The essays reflect Professor Falola’s longstanding and agenda-setting engagement with leading issues in the broad field of African Studies.

— Professor Ayodeji Olukoju, Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Letters, Vice-Chancellor, Caleb University

This learned book provides valuable insights on how the humanities have fared in Africa’s transformation and the role of education in the continent’s future. In suggesting new orientations for teaching and research, this book must be read by our educationists and policymakers. It speaks truth to power!

— Professor Monday Mangvwat, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos

Toyin Falola has done it again: This book is appropriately intended to be “a foundation of thought,” which is the trademark of all his academic production. It is a bold attempt to situate the humanities in their suitable scholarly orbit by drawing attention to their relevance to other disciplines in the sciences. He argues that this can be done through harmonization, and to task everyone to actualize their mandates, and for policy makers to fund the humanities. This is a must read for those whom fresh ideas are always a fascination.

— Professor Nuhu Yaqub, OFR, Vice-Chancellor, Sokoto State University