Beyond Euro-Western dominance: An African-centred decolonial paradigm

Abstract

In search for Africa's solutions to solve African-centred problems, an African-centred paradigm provides a starting point towards knowledge generation. Africans continue to be confronted with models and paradigms that are export-oriented in a quest to serve as import substitutions for explaining obstacles prevalent on the African continent. Faced with this realisation, hegemonic discourses abound, which only serve to misdiagnose prevailing problems. Thus, when African scholars compare realities with Euro-Americans, there is a glaring consensus to move towards an adoption of more centred paradigms to respond to the poverty of existing theoretical formulations. This article therefore proposes an African-centred decolonial paradigm in response to Kwasi Wiredu's call for 'Africa, know thyself'. Though albeit not prescriptive, the author seeks to map out the contours of an African-centred decolonial paradigm predicated on three existing paradigms. Firstly: the Afrocentric paradigm proposed by Molefe Kete Asante. Secondly: the pillars of Africanity as a combative methodology and paradigm proposed by Archie Mafeje. Thirdly, Afrikology is discussed, which emphasises a universal transdisciplinary approach. Based on these three paradigms, the author posits that if Africans want to play a much larger role in knowledge generation that is responsive to human needs and existential problems, an African-centred decolonial paradigm offers a multi-transdisciplinary framework, which may be used to foreground African scholarly endeavours.