KEY POINTS
- Prof. Lumumba urged African nations to decolonize education systems for true transformation.
- He challenged African universities to replace outdated colonial models with contextually relevant ones.
- The UEW audience embraced the call for educational liberation and innovation.
Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba urged African nations to urgently rethink and decolonize education systems for genuine continental transformation.
He delivered this call during the University of Education, Winneba’s 2025 Public Lecture Series themed, “Empowering Minds, Shaping Futures for 21st Century Education.”
The event brought scholars, policymakers, practitioners, administrators, and the general public together to critically engage on national and global educational issues.
Prof. Lumumba critiques colonial education models and calls for change
Lumumba emphasized that real educational reform must begin with mental liberation and the decolonization of African minds and institutions.
He criticized the equation of intelligence with fluency in colonial languages while neglecting native African wisdom, values, and languages.
“Our minds were conditioned to view colonial systems as superior,” Lumumba said, challenging Africa to reclaim indigenous intellectual traditions.
He denounced Africa’s dependency on foreign goods and services, highlighting the urgent need to reform agriculture, sports, and medicine sectors.
Lumumba urged universities like UEW to lead in producing locally relevant knowledge that addresses Africa’s developmental challenges and opportunities.
UEW audience inspired to redefine Africa’s educational direction
According to MyJoyOnline, Lumumba hailed Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, for prioritizing tertiary education and founding key national universities. He urged young scholars and educators to draw inspiration from Africa’s pre-colonial civilizations like Timbuktu and Benin’s achievements.
True educational reform, Lumumba stated, must address colonial scars while reshaping curricula to empower African students with innovation and purpose. He challenged African universities to reject outdated models and develop new frameworks that reflect Africa’s realities, aspirations, and cultural identity.
Leadership Expert Dr. Samuel Koranteng-Pipim and UNESCO’s Edmond Moukala also supported bold reforms toward an African-centered educational future. The UEW audience responded with a standing ovation, endorsing the message as a call to bold academic transformation and liberation.
