Cite this article as: Aminu T. & Ogbu J. (2025). Historiography and Literature in Decoloniality: An Elixir for Epistemological Re-Orientation in Nigeria. Zamfara International Journal of Humanities, 4(1), 1-14. www.doi.org/10.36349/zamijoh.2025.v04i01.001.
HISTORIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE IN
DECOLONIALITY: AN ELIXIR FOR EPISTEMOLOGICAL RE-ORIENTATION IN NIGERIA
Taofiki Aminu, Ph.D
Department of History and International
Studies
Federal University Gusau
And
Jonathan Ogbu
Department of English and Literature
Federal University Gusau
Abstract
This study is an interdisciplinary exploration of
the synergy of historiography and literature in decoloniality, as an elixir for
epistemological re-orientation in Nigeria. The precision for interconnectedness
hinged on decoloniality of Eurocentric erroneous impressions exemplified in
varied historical epistemologies by some scholars like; Trevor Ropers, Lord
Milverton, and A.P Thornton, among others. The colonialist portends that,
Nigeria has no history, nor civilisation of their own, and what abound is the
history of colonial existence and enterprise in Africa. For instance, David
Hume asserted that, while the pageant of history swept by, Africans still
remained stagnant, barbaric, and are far millions of kilometres away behind
civilisation; and that anything remarkably done in Africa, it is neither the
Hamitic nor the Semitic. Between 1948 and 1962, the emergence of Universities
in Nigeria births the proactiveness of historiographers and intellectuals like;
Kenneth O. Dike, Saburi Biobaku, Bala Usman, Mahdi Adamu and others to offer
resilience for epistemological re-orientation. Similarly, novelists, poets, and
playwrights in reconstruction of holistic historiography of Nigeria’s past used
literature; from Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ to Wole Soyinka’s ‘Death
and the King’s Horseman’. Significantly, the fusion of historiography and
literature amplified marginalized voices, challenged oppressive systems, and
advocated for positive change through epistemological re-orientation. Again, it
equally spawned a transformative elixir for repositioning of public
consciousness, foster empathy, and ignites advocacy movements.
Methodologically, the study adopted the synthesis of provenance of historical
cum literature studies in data elicitation, and employed qualitative historical
and context analysis and interpretations.
Keywords: Historiography, Literature, Decoloniality,
Epistemology, Nigeria
Introduction
The
duo, historiography and literature are distinct disciplines that closely
relates to historical studies and fundamentally meant to recount the antiquity,
or to interprets phenomenal events. Practically, historiography is the art of
writing and interpreting history, it offers lens through critical assessment of
the narratives that have been constructed over time (Swai, 2022; and Shiekh,
2007). Again, literature is an artistic endeavour with profound capacity to
reflects and challenge societal norms, serves as a mirror and a beacon, guiding
through the murky waters of social issues and human experiences. Invariably,
the synergy of historiography and literature have long assisted in moulding and
reshaping human understandings of what Schraeder (2002) designates as African
mosaic societies with variegated cultures and cultural heritage, viable nature
of economy and political dynamism. These are deciphered through the nuance
understandings of historical events that transpired many centuries ago.
Howbeit, this paper is an
interdisciplinary exploration of the synergy of historiography and literature
in decoloniality, essentially as an elixir for epistemological re-orientation
in Nigeria. Nigeria is a multiplicity of nations, perpetually rich in
cultural diversity and historical complexity, it presents a unique canvas where
the past is not merely a chronological record, but a dynamic narrative that
continues to influence the present and future. Relating to the foregoing,
Edward Hallet Carr (1962) expressively bolstered that history is a continuous
process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending
dialogue between the present and the past. It is therefore interesting
to construe that cultural historians have delved more and more into prehistory,
that is, human existence before writing made verbalised records possible
(David, 1982). In the context of Nigeria, the rich tapestry of
narratives is intertwined, basically to explores the potent synergy that
emerges with convergence of two realms disciplines. The intellectual
synthesization of historiography and literature unlocks and unravel powerful
elixirs that transcends mere academic discourse, but a catalyst for
epistemological reorientation in Nigeria.
Notwithstanding,
the cogent precision for examination
of the interconnectedness of historiography and literature hinges on
decoloniality of Eurocentric erroneous impressions exemplified in varied
historical epistemologies by some scholars, like; Trevor Ropers, Lord Milverton,
and A.P Thornton, among others (Aminu, Bello, and Musa, 2022). The colonialists
portend that, Nigeria (Africa) has no history, nor civilisation of their own,
and what abound is the history of colonial existence and enterprise in Africa.
Another colonial apologist David Hume further asserted that, while the pageant
of history swept by, Africans still remained stagnant, barbaric, and are far
millions of kilometres away behind civilisation; and that anything remarkably
done in Africa, it is neither the Hamitic nor the Semitic. These intellectual
bereavements in Nigeria historiographical values poised for historical
rejoinders fathom in rapid reconstruction of historical past, not only in
history, but equally paved way for literary study such as folklore, fictional
and legendry to creep into the early 20th century.
Between 1948 and 1962, the emergence of
Universities in Nigeria births the proactiveness of historiographers and
intellectuals like; Kenneth O. Dike, Saburi Biobaku, Bala Usman (Yandaki and
Abubakar, 2018), Mahdi Adamu and others offered resilience for epistemological
re-orientation. The development and transformation formed the indelible marks
of honour and glory that debunked the poignant erroneous impressions by
supplanting it with comprehensive knowledge of history and literature that
aided the sieving of the real grains, and ultimately threw away the chaffs.
However, some of these intellectual expressions still subsists in action as
well as in academic practices which call for an in-depth recourse for
epistemological reorientation using the historiography and literature as a
resounding platform. Suggestively, the fusion of historiography and literature
amplified marginalized voices, challenged oppressive systems, and advocated for
positive change through epistemological re-orientation. Again, it equally spawned
a transformative elixir for repositioning of public consciousness, foster
empathy, and ignites advocacy movements. By and large, the phenomenal
study spawned the expeditions for understanding the complex tapestry of
Nigeria’s pasts, and quintessentially for construing the contemporary
epistemology within the purview of historiography and literature as two pivotal
strands. From the prism, in essentiality, this study delves into the zeniths of
historiographical analysis and literary expression, examining their individual
and collective roles in shaping societal narratives and driving positive
change. It is expected that in the short-run the study would reflect in Nigeria
body politics for good governance, genuine intellectual gains and action
towards reproducing a renew cultural hope for repositioning and advancement
against overbearing romance with colonial vestiges.
Understanding Conceptual Underpinnings:
Decoloniality, and Epistemology Reorientation
Conceptually, decoloniality is best construe within
the purview of decolonisation, as an action that calls for change or radical
transformation of an idea that is heinous to human peaceful existence. Though,
the term decoloniality (decolonisation) could be construed as exemplified by
Fanon (1961: p.1), in quite a simply manner, it is a substitution of one
“species” of mankind by another. The substitution is unconditional, absolute,
total, and seamless. It portrays the rise of a new nation, the establishment of
a new State, its diplomatic relations and its economic and political
orientation. What is singularly important is that it starts from the very first
day with the basic claims of the colonised for change. This change is
extraordinarily important because it is desired, clamoured for, and demanded to
improving on human condition. The need for this change exists in a raw,
repressed, and reckless state in the lives and consciousness of colonised men
and women. But the eventuality of such a change is also experienced as a
terrifying future in the consciousness of another “species” of men and women,
the colons, the colonists (Fanon, p. 1). In a more expressive style,
decolonization is sets out to change the order of the World, and a clearly
agenda for total disorder. But it cannot be accomplished by the wave of a magic
wand, a natural cataclysm, or a gentleman's agreement. In actual fact,
decolonization is an historical process as well as an encounter between two
congenitally antagonistic forces that in fact owe, firstly, confrontation was
coloured by violence and their cohabitation-or rather the exploitation of the
colonized by the colonizer-continued at the point of the bayonet and under
cannon fire (Fanon). The colonists and the colonized are old acquaintances, and
it is the colonist who fabricated and continues to fabricate the colonized
subject. Most significantly, as far as this paper is concerned, decoloniality
is an expunction of varied dreadful colonials’ radical ideological mentalities
and sentiments inject into Nigeria history through prolonged European and
Western imperialistic dominations. These inequalities are discernibly
manifested in post-colonial Nigeria intellectual practice in the realm of
historical endeavours, and with its haunting impacts revealed in all human
ambiences.
Historiography and Literature Amidst
Imperialized Mentalities in Nigeria
Historiography in Nigeria has been
profoundly shaped by colonial narratives, which often marginalized indigenous
perspectives and knowledge systems, nevertheless, literary studies took the
same paradigm but not as profound as in history. This is because the British
colonial historiographical imperialized mentalities in Nigeria were
predominantly Eurocentric, characterised by imposition of Western historical
methodologies and perspectives, antithetical to autochthons system. For
instance, Falola (2022) extolled that these colonial administrators,
missionaries, and ethnographers documented Nigerian history through a lens that
often-depicted indigenous cultures as primitive and static. This approach not
only distorted historical realities and epistemology, but also served to
justify the British colonial domination as underscored by Swai (2018: p. 27),
emphasizing that under colonialism, Africans could not be the producers of
ideas, but rather awaits European discoveries to make life and recorded it.
The foregoing colonial excoriation on historiographers have been
paying dearly for committing an original sin-that poised for the inability to
having decided to choose history as a discipline, and as a way of life.
Undisputedly, the whole movement against history and historians seems to be
connected to the chicaneries of cultural imperialism. According to Yandaki
(2018) historians in this clime are surrounded and hedged by imperialized
mentalities which undermined and emasculated the ability to respond to colonial
epistemology. Expressively, this was the type of thoughts and utterances people
make such that certain basic ignorance is depicted and the thoughts heavily
opinionated with a bias in rejecting Nigeria (your) culture, religion,
education, and other indigenous systems. Summarily, all these are put aside in
favour of foreign social, economic and cultural values at the expense of Nigeria-Afrocentric
ideations which the people were conversant with. These heinous ideologues
remain the major unsolved mystery inhibiting the Afrocentric epistemology.
Throughout the 20th century, this colonial cultural
invasion become unleashed, and towards the beginning of the new millennium, the
cultural imperialism became as it were, parsimoniously reached the peak of
colonialism and neo-colonialism. In fact, as an aesthetic continuum, the first
twenty years of the new century brought with its globalization, which in the contemporary period the peak of cultural, economic
and intellectual imperialism by the West. These imperialized mentalities gained
ascendency of cultural imperialism that promoted commercialization of
knowledge, invariably epistemology. The ideations became highly entrenched
profoundly to the extent that Eskor Toyo (cited in Yandaki, 2018, p. 7) of
blessed memory that some Universities themselves transformed into commercial Universities. This is where studies became
commoditization and commodification in the comfort zones in Business Studies,
Management, Accountancy, Political studies, Computer studies among others. This
is fundamentally done at the detriment of historical studies by discomforting
its potential values especially in the production of the much-needed
epistemological orientation. History as a study was not properly emplaced or
allowed to take its appropriate place of knowledge dissemination as abound
materials were distorted histories of Africa vis-à-vis Nigeria. These were as
exemplified in series of submissions by Trevor Ropers, Lord Milverton,
David Hume, and A. P. Thornton, among others (Aminu., Bello., and Musa, 2022). The unbroken cords from European colonial imperialized
mentalities tremendously exacerbated the strength of genuine historical
scholarship dissemination and documentation as there were preponderant leanings
to Western ideologies.
Again, the imperialized mentalities
often situate in counterposed
against the disastrous loss of national ethos and interests in the study of
history. On the contrary, if there is strong presence of national interest in
discipline like history, then epistemological orientation will have their
headway. But, where national interest is exterminated in Nigeria, then
patriotic subjects have no room, and that is why over three decades of
trajectories, history as a study has witnessed the worst government and public
patronage in terms of epistemological orientation. Yandaki (2018, p. 7)
affirmed that due to crass materialism and promotion of business studies and
allied courses, (as such courses are always patronized by bankers, chairmen of
Local Governments, secretaries, sometimes senior custom officers, immigration
and police officers, politicians, civil service Directors and Deputy Directors)
such courses blossomed due to sophisticated corruption.
With strong disinterests, this huge monumental movement soon
decreed that history should be removed or yanked from primary and secondary
schools' syllabuses. Hence, the conclusion these characters have made is that,
history unlike the 'social sciences' and the 'sciences' has nothing to
contribute to national economy. And on individual level, a trained historian or
historiographer would have no job contingent on the belief that he or she is
not a 'professional'. Nonetheless, professionals such as medical doctors,
pharmacists, computer scientists, etc can be 'on their own'. Albeit, Yandaki
(2018) avowed that how parasitic and dangerous quacks are these professions can
be vis-à-vis to the larger society is never mentioned. Consequently, this
perception thus culminated to the belittling and under-rating of historical
scholarship, history discipline as well as historians.
In bolstering supports and assertion of imperialized mentalities,
Sir Harry Johnston regarded “Africa as ‘born slaves’, possesses of great
physical strength, docility, cheerfulness of disposition and can above all toil
hard under the hot sun and in the unhealthy climates of the torrid zone” (Swai,
2018, p. 26). Thus, too, Lord Leverhulme of Lever Brothers at a dinner held by
the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce declared to its members in 1924 that as
“immature and underdeveloped, African children were excellent materials for
labour in the tropics, and that since they lacked the organizing ability, and
characteristics of the white man, they could benefit a good deal if they were
made to acquiesce to the white man’s burden” (Swai, 2018, p. 26). This is
radically a clear manifestation of what Nigerians and their historians found
themselves amidst imperialized mentalities of the British and Western
colonialists. This foregoing unprecedented exegesis called for decoloniality of
imperialized mentalities towards achieving the feat for epistemological
reorientation in Nigeria as the concern of the subsequent section.
Historiography and Literature in
Decoloniality and Epistemological Re-Orientation Approaches in Nigeria
This
segment explores the decoloniality approaches to historiography and literature
in Nigeria, it aims at laying facticity for reorientation of epistemological
framework towards a more inclusive and representative understanding of Nigerian
history. The crystallization of historiography and literature offer the
expected elixir for epistemological reorientation, and can never be
oversimplified in contemporary intellectual discourse and historical
documentation. It has the esoteric forces that depicts the moral justification
for reorientation through understanding of didactic indigenous history using
historiographical and literary interpretations. In decoloniality, the duo seeks
out to dismantle the lingering colonial constructs and structures within
historiography by challenging the epistemic imperialistic foundations laid from
the 19th century by British colonial administration in Nigeria.
Though, some element of it still subsists on a large scale in the post-colonial
era as neocolonialism, or invariably globalisation, hence the clarion calls for
decoloniality as follows.
Reclamation
of Indigenous Narratives Through History and Literary Studies: The
reclaiming of indigenous narratives of great antiquity is a process very
crucial in fostering of a more accurate, genuine and holistic understandings of
Nigeria’s past for historical reconstruction and reorientation for
epistemological values. Most apposite, Falola (2022) identifies decoloniality
approaches of Nigerian historiography through the strands of strategies
involving the prioritizing of oral histories, folklore, and other indigenous
sources of historical knowledge. Though, these indices cannot be exonerated
from literary studies, as literary works such as poems, prose, unseen prose and
drama are not outrightly fictions or fictitious. They contain good element of
historical truism embedded to justifies the element of originality depicting
the past, present and the future. Relatively, Jazbhay (2019) emphasizes the
importance of reclaiming indigenous knowledge systems and narratives that were
suppressed or ignored by British colonial historians. Some series of discourses
are found and located in numbers of literary prima facie of writings of Chinua
Achebe (1958) Things Fall Apart; Wole Soyinka (1967), The Lion and
the Jewel; and response in the contemporary era included the writing by
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2006), Half of a Yellow Sun; among others. The
historians uses the historiographical vantage to construct narratives that
reflects the live experiences and perspectives of Nigerians past and present
communities in juxposition for epistemological reorientation. The decolonial
approaches to historiography in Nigeria are essential for achieving
epistemological re-orientation through plethora of historical and literary
engagements. Attention of people and students in various levels of institutions
of learnings (primary, post-primary and tertiary) could be directed
didactically to accelerate historical and literary understandings for
intellectual and epistemic reorientation. This progression will not only enrich
the understandings of Nigerian historiography and literature, but endow with
potential value and capacity to contributes to the broader project of
decolonizing knowledge production integrated by the colonialists.
Critiquing
Colonial Sources and Orality: A critical examination of colonial
documents and records is essential. This includes identifying biases,
omissions, and misrepresentations within these sources and contextualizing them
within the broader framework of colonial power dynamics. For instance, David Hume affirmed that, while “the pageant
of history swept by, Africans still remained stagnant, barbaric, and are far
millions of kilometres away behind civilisation; and that anything remarkably
done in Africa, it is neither the Hamitic nor the Semitic”. The
critiquing of the submission of Eurocentric writers like; Lord Milverton,
Trevor Roper, and A. P Thornton, among
others (Aminu., Bello., and
Musa, 2022) has objectively been debunked through numbers of rejoinders in the
past, and as well continues in the contemporary period. Abound epistemologies
for outright reorientations are situated in numbers of writings by griots of
history starting from 1956 by Kenneth O. Dike, Saburi Biobaku, J.FA. Ajayi,
Yusuf Bala Usman, Mahdi Adamu, and in the contemporary by late Aminu Isyaku
Yandaki, Hamza, M. Maishanu, and Toyin Falola among others. In fact, their
epistemological analysis has created a sound base for historical scholarship
for continuing reorientation through readings, teachings, conferences,
symposium, and academic fora injected in response to global issues. Their
intellectual activities as an aesthetic continuum of demonstration posited the
epistemic vigour orchestrated and directed for moral historical reorientation
against Eurocentric postulations and constructs which has been the provenance
of contemporary confrontational attitude and instabilities in Nigeria.
Integration
of Interdisciplinary Methodologies: The integration and
interdisciplinary methodologies of historiography and literary ideas
could be adopted to spawn viable methodologies from anthropology, archaeology,
and cultural studies to provide a more nuance comprehension of Nigerian
history. This interdisciplinary approach allows for the incorporation of
diverse perspectives and sources of knowledge in distinct realms of studies in
reconstruction of a whole phenomenon. This is because no discipline could
thrive in insulation, there must be didactic intellectual action that will be
inputted to drives home the fact of history and literature to evolve genuine
information. Though, historiography and
literature are likened to Siame and are vital components in the quest for
writing and discourse of epistemological re-orientation in Nigeria. It should
be noted that the dominant Western epistemological paradigm has long dictated
the narrative of Nigerian history and literature, marginalizing indigenous
perspectives (Mudimbe, 1988). However, responses to this misinterpretation have
been deep rooted in integration and interdisciplinary methodologies which
birthed the past epistemological reorientation. This called for a critical
examination of Nigerian historiography and literature with dependent ability to
facilitate a decolonial turn. By this assertion, Ngugi wa Thiong’o (1986)
contended that literary studies in the post-colonial period allows for the
reclamation of indigenous knowledge systems and cultural practices through
corrections of abnormalities inherent in colonial writings. However, the
employing of decolonial approaches by scholars and writers in Nigeria will
present humongous objectives to create a more inclusive and equitable literary
landscape, one that reflects the diversity and complexity of Nigerian
experiences (Quayson, 2014). This will involve not only a paradigm shift in the
typologies of stories that are told in literature, but will certainly assists
the nurturing of uncommon and exceptional transformation for historical
reconstruction. And this will however devoid imperialized mentalities, but a preponderant
of African moral fact will be respectively inoculated for epistemic
reorientation.
Local
Community Engagements and Orthodox Oral Epistemology: From
antiquity, history is noted to be domiciled in eponymous homes of varied
communities, villages and hamlets, as well as among the pageant historians
transmitted from older to new generations. The unprecedented roles of local
traditional community engagement in using orthodox oral source in debriefing
and elicitation of facts and realities built the present epistemology. The
tinge of collaborating with local communities and orthodox oral datum inspired
strong historiographical processes that ensures voices and experiences for
adequate representation for production of sound base for historical epistemic
reorientation. This participatory approach helps to democratize historical
knowledge production and management. Achebe (1958) identified some case studies
in the Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God to illustrate the
application of decolonial approaches to Nigerian historiography. The studies
raised the forces for rejuvenation of Nigerian history as dominant narratives
and representations of Nigerian identity in acceleration of epistemological
reorientation against imperialized mentalities. This intellectual ambience
discredited the ways in which those stories are told in literature (apart from
fiction) as well as chronicles of people and towns piercing through the
privilege of utilising local community indigenous languages, narrative
structures, and modes of expression (Soyinka, 1975).
More
so, Kwanashie and Abba (2018, p. 147) expatiated that in Nigerian traditional
societies, preservation and transmission of knowledge about the past was
recognised as important aspect for the development of society, and in
particular for promoting communal self-consciousness and sense of identity. In
real sense of decoloniality, colonial studies on African societies vis-à-vis
Nigeria needs out-and-out truncation and emasculation by supplanting them with
didactic Nigerian historical and literary scholarship using communities’
re-engagement and orality for genuiness of studies. This constitutes the
sieving of historical and literary condiments displayed, and adoption of
expedient actions by overhauling antiquated studies through reification of
Nigeria indigenous epistemologies for proper and gainful reorientation.
Intersectionality
of Schools of History and Literary Studies: Distinct from orthodox method of
learning and teaching of history in various Nigerian institutions, there should
be intersection of the utilisation of formal schools of history for practical
knowledge dissemination. Inversely, in this perspective, trajectory of
acquisition of history are equally domiciliated in formal colonial and
post-colonial institutions of learning through a designated curricular. For
instance, in southern flank of Nigeria, the formative stage of Ibadan School of
History came into prominence in the 1950s when Department of History was
established in the University College of West Africa in 1948. It reached its
apogee in 1956 by responding voraciously to imperialized voices and
mentalities, through which eminent historians, like Michael Crowder, Kenneth O.
Dike, Saburi Biobaku and J.F.A Ajayi among others sent series of rejoinders
(Yandaki and Abubakar, 2018). In northern Nigeria, the spate of responses to
colonial intellectual misrepresentations ushered in the emergence of Department
of History spearheaded by Abdullahi Smith in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in
1962 as a satellite campus of University of Ibadan. Their activities were
acutely fundamental at the forefront of decoloniality, aptly for extension of
the frontier of historiography and epistemological re-orientations.
Incontrovertibly, eminent figures among the historical icons and sages included
Abdullahi Smith, Michael Crowder, and Jacob, F.A Ajayi and others. They assiduously
precluded the European colonial epistemology oddities and heinous to human
image, social existence, perception, and belief system. Instructively, by the
second-half of the 20th century, the intellectuality responses and
approaches were geared toward decoloniality of Western misconceptions on
Africans (Nigeria) history, and thus became obvious in varied tertiary
institutions in accelerating human consciousness and understandings.
Relentlessly, the facilitation of epistemological reorientation culminated in
the establishment second generation Universities as an offshoot of extant
institutions for continue intellectual exercise on historiography. In reality,
the Department of History was respectively established in University of
Nigeria, Nsukka in 1960 and University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University)
in 1962 with pristine curriculum equally saddled for recalibration of epistemic
reaffirmation of epistemology against colonial expositional insensitivities,
among others.
Auspiciously,
in Nigeria, the schools of thoughts emerged in the mid-20th century
sought to challenge colonial historiography by emphasizing on African
intellectual agencies and perspectives. Scholars like Kenneth O. Dike and
J.F.A Ajayi played pivotal roles in this movement (Falola 2022) by establishing
the Historical Society of Nigeria in 1956 with the rapidity to extinguish
colonial epistemic exploitations. In the contemporary period, the likes of
Professors Toyin Falola, Dahiru Yahaya, George A. Kwanashie, and Alkasum Abba
proactively ensures the marketisation of African history in correction of
European and West intellectual inequalities and imbalances. Besides, some
notable examples of decoloniality in literature, especially in Nigeria were
directed towards reposition of epistemological reorientation including writings
of Chinua Achebe (1958), Wole Soyinka (1967), and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
(2006). They challenged the overriding narratives depicting Nigerian uniqueness
in epistemic reorientation. This undoubtedly promoted Nigerian
historiographical studies towards epistemological reorientation by repudiation
of colonial obnoxious thoughts that portend the denigration of Nigerians
braveness, even in their inestimable contributions to the advancement of Europe
and the West.
Rise
of Indigenous Languages in History and Literary Studies: The
standardization of Yoruba and Igbo languages orthographic words in 1897 by
Samuel Ajayi Crowder, as well as Hausa language culture facilitated the rapid
responses of epistemological reorientation. This aspect of epistemic
orientation resulted in retention of considerable indigenous knowledge through
writings to brokers control of education in Nigeria. For instance, the rise of
indigenous language history and literature birthed the emergence of protuberant
numbers of studies, fundamentally in 1937, Abubakar Imam authored the Magana
Jarice; and Daniel O. Faguwa, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmale in 1938,
among others. With advancement in modern studies, there are surge in writings
offered in Igbo and Yoruba languages, notably; Igbo Language and Culture
was authored by Ejerun in 2001; and Owomoyela in 2001 titled Yoruba Language
and Culture. In advancement of decoloniality in Nigeria, these historical
and literary works gained currency and ascendancy by morphing ideas that
deflates Eurocentric intellectual ideologies. In addition, this rise in
indigenous language literatures even in print media, like Iwe Irohin Yoruba
in 1859 founded by Henry Townsend- a Christian missionary and Gaskiya Tafi
Kwabo in 1939 respectively demonstrated their prowess. Effectively, the
outcomes resulted in systemic spread of the indigenous newspapers that aided
Nigerians in pouring out their venoms against British uncanny colonial
dominations in all human endeavours. In decoloniality, they ultimately approved
the teaching and studying of autochthonous languages for epistemological
advancement. This became a centrifugal force that marked a significant shift
towards decoloniality in Nigerian historiographical effulgence among scholars
and end-beneficiaries of literature and media newspapers. Encouragingly, the
accentuation of domestication of indigenous languages in history and literary
studies prepared the resilience and potential capability to create a renew hope
in repositioning of Nigeria historiography towards epistemological
reorientation.
Orality
in Histories and Literary Studies in Decoloniality: Since
antiquity, orality has been the only genre through which ideas were commuted
and disseminated by heart, either as songs or the relaying of traditional
historical antecedents to the nascent and generations unborn. It is usually in
form of traditional history by which information are collected, commuted and
disseminate in songs form through the mouth (Aminu and Ibrahim, 2024). This
phenomenon opened pristine strategy and phase for historiography, using orality
in history and literary studies for decoloniality of epistemological
reorientation. Valuably, it thus protects history from the abysses of
intellectual bankruptcy introduced by British colonialist as well as the West
for exploitation of the credulities of Nigerians. For instance, in Africa Ngũgĩ
wa Thiong'o's treatise created the logical stance instrumental to decoloniality
of literature, titled Decolonizing the Mind and messages were profusely
sent beyond Nigeria national borders. Similarly, Chinweizu, Onwuchekwa Jemie,
and Ihechukwu Madubuike's in 1980 authored Toward the Decolonization of
African Literature was indeed a foundational text in Africa, especially in
Nigeria. The studies treatise responded to Western-dominated literary
criticisms by averting them through critical bold of clarion call to action for
African writers and scholars to reclaim their cultural heritage(s). This
informed the challenges orchestrated to absolve Nigerians from colonialist and
neocolonialist disgusting narratives.
Obviously,
the use of oral traditions to document the history or chronicles of the Yoruba,
Igbo and Hausa among other people provided valuable visions into their social,
political, religious, and cultural developments. In essentiality, these
narratives offer a counterpoint to the often-reductive accounts found in
colonial records through strong objective excoriation evident in numbers of
studies and policy actions. In mitigation of colonial extremities, the British
colonial analogical inductive reasonings that tilted historical cum literary
studies into denigration were equally averted by exploring the oral validity.
In reality, the early part of the 20th and 21st centuries
intellectual discourse and information documentation ushered the matrixes
revolution in the typologies of rejoinders genuinely for reconstruction and
authentication of orality for historiographical epistemic reorientation.
Reclamation
and Revalidation of Indigenous Cultures: The stride for epistemological
reorientation through reclamation and revalidation of autochthonous culture is
apt, and should be sacrosanct. This possesses the potential for intellectual
dynamism to erase the colonialist’s postulated assumptions on Nigeria history
as indicated by Trevor Roper and Lord Milverton on African civilisation. For
instance, in reiteration, David Hume
extrapolated that, while ‘the pageant of history swept by, Africans still
remained stagnant, barbaric, and are far millions of kilometres away behind
civilisation; and that anything remarkably done in Africa, it is neither by the
Hamitic nor the Semitics’. Often controversial, Lord Milverton portends that
‘Nigeria has no history, nor civilisation of their own, and what abound is the
history of colonial existence and enterprise in Africa’ (Aminu, Bello, and
Musa, 2022). The synthesized outcomes of the construct resulted in
ravenous rejoinders from Nigerian historiographers’ reclamation and
revalidation of history using primeval religious perspectives from Glorious
Qu’ran, and ecumenical application as well as Arabic sources. These sources
adduced undeniable facts and actions that assisted in stemming the tides of
colonial polemics extrapolations, and thus directly promoted epistemic
reorientation that discredited the backwardness Nigeria in the realms of
civilisation.
Arising
from the foregoing, the intersectionality of history and literary
studies in decoloniality in Nigeria gained significant attention and tractions
in the recent time. This is contingent on increasing intellectual consciousness
of scholars and writers that challenge the legitimacy of dominant Western
epistemologies. Though fundamental reclamation and revalidation of indigenous
perspectives, (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2018) cultural exhibitions and tourism plays
their tolls. Most significantly, decoloniality approaches to literature in
Nigeria involve a critical examination of the ways in which colonialism has
sharpened the country's literary landscape (Mignolo, 2011) against indigenous
culture. The lethality and incivility of colonial knowledge culture raises the
Nigerians intellectual conscious effort to poised for epistemological
reorientation. This contingent on effervescent listening to marginalize voices
and experiences through reclamation and revalidation of indigenous cultural
civility of Nigerians. Notwithstanding, the strenuous reclamation
and revalidation of Nigerian heterogenous cultures produced, and still
manifested its’ ingenuity by divesting of the increasing propensity of pseudo
colonial knowledge culture into the dustbin of annihilation. Ambitiously, the
encapsulation of these could be achieved through critical supplantation with
transformative knowledge management moulded to assuage good human character in
Nigeria plural societies. However,
decoloniality project of reclamation and revalidation could be integrated
and institutionalized in academic curricular with genuine framework to
dismantle the structural knowledge production bereaved in colonial assertions.
This will ensconce great enthusiasm for Nigerians to historically enjoys the
privilege and as well scoffing the overriding colonial speculations to the
advantages Nigerians over Western culture and civilisation campaigns.
In truism, Falola (2002) emphasised that Nigerian
historiography has begun to shift extraneously towards a more inclusive and
decolonial approach by incorporating indigenous cultural historical
perspectives and sources for epistemological reorientation. The archetypal
shift is crucial in revisioning of Nigeria heterogenous epistemologies towards
a more nuance comprehension of the country's complex history and cultural
heritage. In apposition, the amplification of Nigerians marginalized
voices will help wistfully the inoculation of imperialized mentalities into
outright oblivion. This will tend to stimulate African historical and
literary writers to draw upon their own cultural experiences and traditions for
revalidation. Similarly, literary expositions from the quintessential of Chinua
Achebe's Things Fall Apart (1958), and Wole Soyinka's Death and the
King's Horseman (1975) has created serious indelible marks for reclamation
and revalidation of indigenous culture. For instance, the former offers
powerful counter-narrative to British colonialist representations of Nigerian
culture, while the later critiques the imposition of Western values on
indigenous cultural practices. On the average, the intellectual strides
demonstrated and directed in the context of their literary submissions really
promoted the prolific cultural epistemic reorientation require by Nigerians.
Institutionalization
of Objective Criticism of Western Historical and Literary Canons: The
intersectionality of historiography and literature have illustrated its trends,
and have not relented in institutionalization and redirection of Western
historical and literary canons through the genre of epistemological
reorientation. The decoloniality tactic of the phenomena in Nigeria is not
merely a rejection of British colonial legacies, but an objective criticism for
reaffirmation of indigenous epistemologies. Through inexhaustible works,
Nigerian writers had continued to criticizes and challenge the legality of the
British colonial canons, offering new strategies of construing and engaging
with global World tenets. These historical and literary objectivities are
consciously enthused to improving on socio-political and ethical movements
crucial for epistemological re-orientation. This is highly necessary
for a true and genuine decolonization of Nigerian society in gaining formidable
feat through an enviable sagacity. For
instance, some Nigeria historian sages like of Toyin Falola, Alkasum Abba,
Aminu, I. Yandaki, Abdulateef Femi Usman, and Raimi Olaoye have emphasized the
importance of indigenous canons in historiographical reconstruction. The
instance is the institutionalization of objective reality that has assisted
enormously in criticizing the dominance of Western archival records highly
overwhelmed with biasness. In bolstering their expositions, Carr (1962, p. 30)
extenuate that the ‘dual function of history is to enable man understand the
society of the past and to increase the mastery over the society of the
present’. In this, the Nigeria scholars' polemic stance adopted for
intersectionality of historiography and literary mechanisms aided the
exorcising of archaic Western canons, and hence provides fertile ground for
epistemological re-orientation.
Intellectual
Perceptions and Application of Theoretical Constructs for History and Literary
Expositions: In comprehension of historiography for epistemological
reorientation, human perceptions for clarity of complex phenomena have been
adopted for use of theoretical postulations counting of the past. In the late
20th and early 21st centuries, theoretical constructs among historians for
interpretation of complex phenomenon remain a tapestry to fathom a simplify
solution, fundamentally for expansion of understanding of history. In its multidisciplinary
use of theories, the study of history and literature gains ascendancy in
provision of ideas questioning reasons for Eurocentric assertions on Africa
States. The attempt corrected some imbalances and misconceived ideas,
fundamentally, it extended the frontiers of historiographical investigations,
objectively. It countered and decolonized to some propensity the British
colonial intellectual derogatory perceptions and postulations, for onward
epistemological reorientation.
Connecting
from the above prism, it is worthy to note that intellectual perceptions
require deep-seated paradigm shift from Eurocentric to Afrocentric solutions
using theoretical perspectives in history and literary analysis. Potentially,
these could be achieved through numbers of objective intellectual symposiums,
conferences, seminars and fieldworks that will disseminate the truism of
intellectual perceptions as to absolve from imperialized mentalities. In
advocation of the fact, Y.B Usman (1977) maintained that a perception of
historical development is a conception about how humanity and society has come
to be what it is now, is something every person has to have whether they are
conscious and explicit about it or not. In epistemological reorientation, the
central function of history in developing countries such as Nigeria is that of
discovering the pattern of motion of societies. The discovery is achieved by
collection and critical analysis of facts about the past, and interpreting them
to discover pristine pattern of meanings. It is this meaning that is put into
society by deciding whether to continue to follow that pattern or to change the
course of pattern.
In the
colonial era for instance, the British colonialist with a sense of history,
used history to bolster imperialism, - it denied Africa its past. On the other
hand, Africanist historians used history to justify their struggle and mobilize
for it. This is voraciously intellectual attacks on colonial imperialized
idiosyncrasy that continues to address, and polemically stalked through
seminars, conferences and symposiums presentation culminating in drafting of
communiques that assisted in reconstruction of series of academic curricular
for good policy statements and epistemological reorientation. It is in this
context that the extrapolation of Biobaku (1986, p. 3) could be contends for us
in Africa, the objective of this historical process of imagining the past
experience, the present and remembering the future, must be the restoration of
the dignity of man.
Intrinsic Prospects for Epistemological
Reorientation
The interface of historiography and literature for
decoloniality has the potential to offer intrinsic prospects for
epistemological reorientation by shift from dominant Western knowledge systems
to more inclusive and culturally relevant frameworks. This re-orientation would
in the short and long-runs facilitates the recognition and validation of
indigenous knowledge systems, promotion of a more tinge understanding of
Nigerian culture, history, and identity. More also, the relay
policy statements for prospects in
epistemic reorientation lies heavily in humongous integration of African
philosophies and thoughts’ systems, such as Ubuntu and Afrikania (Ramose, 2002;
Asante, 2007). These philosophies stresses on communalism, interconnectedness,
and holistic understanding as alternatives to Western individualism and
reductionism. Though, with the didactic incorporation of these perspectives,
Nigerian scholars will have the aptitude to develop an unfetter of more
context-specific and culturally relevant epistemology for outright
reorientation backgrounds.
Other prospect would intrinsically hover in
recognition of indigenous languages as vital components of epistemological
reorientation (Mazrui, 2005), as language plays a crucial role in shaping
knowledge systems and cultural practices. By and large, the promotion of the
adoption and use of indigenous languages in academic and intellectual discourse
would proliferates Nigerian scholars to reclaim and revitalize their cultural
heritage, facilitate more authentic and inclusive understanding of Nigerian
epistemology. Furthermore, the incorporation of oral traditions and
storytelling into epistemological reorientation frameworks has the propensity
to offers significant prospects for comprehension of history. Besides, the use
of indigenous orality must have provided the valuable insights into Nigerian
history, culture, and knowledge systems as alternative to Western textual
civilizations. Similarly, the integration of oral traditions into academic
discourse, application of theoretical constructs for Nigerian scholars will
pose the potentialities for comprehensive and inclusive epistemological
understandings of their cultural heritage.
Finally, the integration of historiography and
literature would in short-run have enormous potentialities to condense Nigerian
scholars and writers to develop a more thoughtful comprehension of their past,
present, and future. Thus, the facilitation of decoloniality has the dynamism
for reclamation of indigenous knowledge systems, cultural practices and
essentially the extraction of good aspects of colonial knowledge for
utilisation. Ultimately, the contributions of epistemological reorientation
must have ensconced to unfetter the blight of imperialized minds for more
nuance and inclusive understanding of Nigerian identity, culture, and history,
if not in holistic, but to a certain appreciable degree.
Conclusion
This study has intellectually explored the
intersectionality of historiography and literature towards epistemological
reorientation in Nigeria with emphasis for decoloniality of imperialized
mentalities. It is through a critical examination of dominant Western knowledge
systems and incorporation of indigenous standpoints, that the reclamation and
revitalization of Nigerian cultural heritage could be achieved and
unencumbered. Thus, the intrinsic prospects for epistemology reorientation
included the integration of African philosophies, indigenous languages, and
oral traditions to offer a pathway for more inclusive and culturally relevant
comprehension of Nigerian identity, culture, and history. This
could radically bolster the reclamation of indigenous narratives, objective
critiquing of colonial sources, employing interdisciplinary methodologies, and
engagement with local communities. With this, the historians can reconstruct a
more inclusive and representative account of Nigeria’s past by unfettering
colonial mentalities. The study also creates an outlook on how decolonial future is essential for
recognition of the power dynamics at play in dismantling the dominant Western
epistemological orientations, heinously for advancement of Nigeria
civilisation. This creates space for marginalized voices, challenge dominant
narratives, and foster deeper understandings of Nigerian past and present
experiences, to articulate for the future. Quintessentially, this study postulate that decolonization in
Nigeria is not only necessary, but is also sacrosanct in embracing the
complexities and diversities of Nigerian culture and history as an
epistemological reorientation. It is the hope of this study that future researchers should continue to explore
the applications of decolonial epistemology in various fields, including
history, education,literature, and cultural studies among others. This will
assist community leaders, members, and government in consideration of the
practical importance, especially the incorporation of enumerated points towards
epistemological reorientation.
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