Towards People-centered Development in Africa: The Need to Africanise Social Sciences

Abstract

People-centred development philosophy is one of the important visionary ambitions of Africanists like Mwalimu Nyerere, geared towards founding economic and technological development with a human eye. This was possible because, in most African countries, development goals were and are still inspired by Western methodological and theoretical models that largely ignore or underplay social norms, culture, and people’s mindsets. This study was undertaken to explore ways in which Africa can harness its inherent socio-cultural values in struggling for development. Data were collected using a document review to establish development paths pursued by emerging economies and through interviews to enquire about what should be done. The study has found that fast development (i.e. China and Korea) can partly be explained by the fact that these countries retained cultural values (Confucianism) to foster rapid development of their economies. Given this trend, the findings suggest the following measures. Firstly, Africa must establish social science theoretical-based research centres. Secondly, African scientific research should use the inductive approach in research and invest in the recording of oral narratives. Thirdly, Afrocentric researchers must consolidate efforts to avoid being pulled by Western-centric approaches. Fourthly, social science knowledge should be approached using a multidisciplinary approach. Fifthly, the government should invest in curricula reform even at lower levels of social studies. Sixthly, Africans must promote local languages in explaining African realities. In conclusion, it is cautioned that adopting people-centred development with an Africanization spirit does not mean abandoning global trends in material and technological development. Rather, African states should primarily invest in people’s base to create positive attitudes, patriotism, and integrity, a practice exercised in countries like China and Korea.