Ancestral science and technology for modern development, By Toyin Falola

Regarding the development rhetoric of contemporary Africa, the relentless pursuit of Western model of development sometimes ignores the contribution of local knowledge systems. Western paradigms, which developed during the time of colonialism, have dominated problems related to education, technology, and development over many years. Conversely, this hegemony has come at a great cost of marginalisation and deliberate erasure of Africa’s own scientific and technical legacy. Apart from their marginalisation for a considerable length of the colonial era, African knowledge systems were also fiercely portrayed as of inferior quality. Though African countries are working to rebuild their intellectual bases, this systematic exclusion still affects modern development projects.

The basic foundation of Africa’s indigenous knowledge, often dismissed as being ancient or primitive, is far more complex and deeper than most people would have you believe. African ancestral science offers a great pool of useful knowledge derived over millennia from direct relationship with the source. This information ranges from farming methods fit for local conditions to the treatment of native flora for medicinal use. These systems were based on real, lived experiences, learning by trial and error, observation, and adaptation, helping Africans develop a deep awareness of their surroundings, and creating sustainable and tailored solutions fit for their particular needs.

Indigenous knowledge systems is becoming more and more valuable in the modern world when environmental issues including climate change and the loss of biodiversity approach catastrophic proportions. It is now well known that the exact qualities of localism, sustainability, and an all-encompassing understanding of the world that colonial powers meant to eradicate are essential for addressing the challenges we are currently facing. This is the context in which African indigenous science and technology are being reassessed, and not as remnants from a past but rather as essential tools for the growth of contemporary society.

This reevaluation is a recognition of the reality that knowledge systems are not static so much as they are dynamic, not only a reaction to the shortcomings of Western development paradigms. Indigenous African knowledge develops over time in response to the changing needs and challenges of the communities that sustain it; it is not fixed in time. By means of this adaptability, Africa can access a great reservoir of knowledge that not only offers long-term development solutions but also helps its people to restore their intellectual agency, therefore addressing the problems it faces.

Though they are based on empirical observation and pragmatic use, the scientific underpinnings of African ancestral knowledge are sometimes disregarded. Unlike Western scientific approaches, which often stress theory and abstraction, African knowledge systems are based on millennia of direct interaction with the environment. Through hands-on experience, oral traditions, and community-based learning — not in textbooks or scholarly publications — this knowledge was passed down across generations. Indigenous African science is strong and flexible because of this pragmatic method to view the world.

Agriculture provides among the most remarkable illustrations of this empirical legacy. African farmers have evolved quite advanced farming techniques catered to the particular needs of their geographical surroundings. These methods are grounded in detailed observations of soil types, seasonal trends, and microclimates rather than only in broad knowledge. Many African societies, for example, created farming calendars based on seasonal cycles, which gave vital information on when to plant, gather, and rotate crops. These calendars evolved as fresh generations of farmers tested and modified them to fit changing soil conditions and weather patterns, not as fixed objects.

A monument to their scientific rigour, African agricultural techniques are flexible. Years of experimentation helped to produce techniques including crop rotation, agroforestry, and the use of native fertilisers. Far from starting on superstition or mythology, these techniques were developed in real-world results. Indigenous ways of water conservation and soil preservation have shown to be quite effective in places like the Sahel, where soil erosion and desertification are main issues. Careful monitoring helped to refine techniques like terracing and mulching, which are still in use today as sustainable substitutes for conventional agricultural systems usually depending on petrochemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Likewise, African herbal medicine marks again another field in which empirical knowledge flourished. African healers were using native herbs to treat a wide range of diseases even before Western medicine started to investigate the therapeutic qualities of plants. Years of trial and error established this knowledge as healers tracked the effects of many herbs on the human body and gradually enhanced their use. The study of African pharmacology, which has been passed down through oral traditions and apprenticeships, comprises a vast array of plants, each of which possesses qualities that are distinctive to its medical application. There is a rising realisation that these old remedies, which are typically considered as poor or unscientific by Western standards, have the potential to be employed in contemporary medical interventions. Indeed, a considerable number of contemporary medications are derived from plants that were initially employed in the practice of traditional medicine in Africa.

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Considered to be one of the most remarkable exhibitions of technological prowess available in Africa, iron smelting is an ancient craft. Regarding ironworking, for example, the Nok civilisation of Nigeria is given credit for the evolution of one of the first and most sophisticated methods available worldwide. Essential for their tribes, these early African metallurgists could extract iron from ore and shape it into tools, weapons, and other devices. Among these were tools, weapons, and other instruments. Not only was the smelting of iron a remarkable technological accomplishment, but it was also a difficult scientific effort requiring exacting control over the furnace temperature and the use of specific kinds of ore. From one generation to the next, apprenticeships were the vehicle by which metallurgical expertise was shared. Through these apprenticeships, younger people from society were taught the specifics of the trade by more seasoned experts.

Iron-working was not exclusive to the Nok culture; rather, it was a habit shared all throughout Africa. For example, the Kingdom of Kush developed its own iron-smelting techniques that made it possible to create highly durable agricultural tools and weapons with great lifetime span. Though they were major contributors to the military and economic success of African kingdoms, colonial researchers sometimes dismissed these successes as “primitive” or “unsophisticated.”

In the sphere of architecture, African background shows a great awareness of science and technology, another field in which this knowledge shows itself. Particularly in underdeveloped areas, African traditional architecture shows a natural awareness of environmental science and sustainable building techniques. Especially true in African traditional architecture is this. Structural building made advantage of locally obtained resources including mud, clay, and thatch. These materials were more ecologically friendly than others in addition being readily available. These buildings were built employing techniques including natural ventilation to keep a cool temperature in high-temperature surroundings; their interiors were planned to be in harmony with the natural surroundings. This kind of design expressed an in-depth awareness of the local temperature, terrain, and ecology, not simply served for shelter building.

One of the most important features of African architecture is its concentration on social and community coherence. Many times, traditional African architecture was built with the goal of encouraging group living. The space’s design was meant to inspire among the occupants cooperation and engagement. In many African societies, the idea of space was aimed to satisfy the demand of the society as a whole rather than only that of individuals. This method reflects an underlying idea that was fundamental to African ways of life — that of balance and oneness. Modern architects are beginning to seek African traditional building techniques as a model for environmentally friendly, sustainable design that fits the natural surroundings even in this day and age.

The dynamic aspect of African science and technology is underscored by the fact that these knowledge systems are being passed down through oral traditions, apprenticeships, and community-based learning. African knowledge was fluid, shifting in response to changing circumstances unlike the monolithic, institutionalised systems of knowledge seen in Western scholars. From the moist rainforests of Central Africa to the arid Sahara, this adaptability helps African people to flourish in many environments. It also helped them create long-term, sustainable solutions rather than just ones that would be quick fix.

African ancestral knowledge becomes even more relevant as we advance into the twenty-first century. Indigenous practices provide important ideas on how people could coexist peacefully with their surroundings in a society more and more preoccupied with sustainability and environmental protection. A wealth of knowledge provided by African ancestral science and technology can help us address some of the most pressing issues of our day, including healthcare, food security, and climate change, so addressing some of their underlying causes. Applications for this information abound in construction, medicine, and agriculture as well as in others.

Though they have great worth, many parts of Africa still undervalue these knowledge systems, which is unfortunate. The legacy of colonialism still looms big in the communal psyche since it considered African science and technology as being of lesser quality. Many Africans thus still search the West for answers, usually ignoring the abundance of wisdom right within their own countries. This kind of thinking has to change if Africa is to have the chance to fulfil its full potential and build a sustainable, culturally appropriate future.

Regarding Africa’s attempts to define its future, including ancestral knowledge into modern development strategies presents both challenges and opportunities. The legacy of colonialism, which deliberately disrupted and marginalised indigenous knowledge systems, results in a significant disparity in the way modern development is perceived and executed all throughout the continent. Rebuilding these structures is insufficient; the issue today is to rethink development itself, which should be a process combining modern scientific understanding with traditional wisdom. Still, the process of reaching this unity is not without difficulty.

One of the most important challenges to be solved if we are to effectively include ancestral knowledge into modern development is intellectual property and ownership. Indigenous knowledge is communal by definition; it is passed on from one generation to the next inside certain groups and is not held by any one unique person. One of the main causes of the severity of this issue is the lack of legal systems protecting the intellectual property rights of indigenous people, so exposing African communities to potential exploitation. Given this, African nations and international organisations should cooperate to create legal systems ensuring the fair distribution of benefits resulting from traditional knowledge. This will help the communities with this knowledge to enjoy the advantages of it.

In addition to the problem of intellectual property, there is also the problem of valid scientific research. Even if it is grounded on empirical observation and testing in the real world, the knowledge that is passed down through generations frequently does not conform to the formalized norms of contemporary scientific investigation. Oral traditions are the most typical means by which traditional knowledge is conveyed from generation to generation. Western scientific methods, which involve controlled experiments, statistical analysis, and publications that have been reviewed by peers, are not applied to traditional knowledge. Because of this, it may be tough to incorporate those findings into the frameworks of mainstream scientific research and policy.

On the other hand, this difficulty also gives a major opportunity for creativity. It is feasible that the merging of indigenous knowledge into scientific study could result in discoveries that would not be attainable with the application of traditional procedures singly. The strongly rooted conviction that Western knowledge systems are better than those of other cultural traditions is another more important barrier. Generation after generation of colonists have carried along the belief that African intellectual legacy is less than that of the West during ages of colonialism. Though this kind of thought still influences educational systems, Western science and technology always takes the stage while indigenous knowledge is often seen as less important. Many African scholars and students, in the fields of technology, healthcare, or agriculture, feel that their quest of knowledge demands them to follow Western educational methods. Therefore, the difficulty is not only to bring ancestral wisdom back to life but also to change the way it is seen both inside African countries and internationally.

The growth of Africa in the years to come depends totally on this change in view. Achieving epistemic justice — ensuring that all kinds of knowledge are recognised and respected — requires embracing indigenous knowledge as an equally legitimate kind of expertise. Incorporating indigenous knowledge into official education systems, research labs, and development plans will call for a deliberate effort. Working together, governments, colleges, and international organisations can build environments where current scientific knowledge can coexist with traditional wisdom taught, investigated, and implemented alongside.

Participatory research methodologies represent a bright path for including ancestral knowledge into contemporary development. These methods let indigenous people participate in the research process so they may provide their knowledge and help to create ecologically sustainable solutions with cultural relevance. Participatory research guarantees that indigenous people actively participate in determining the course of their communities, not only as passive knowledge consumers. This method promotes mutual respect and cooperation between modern scientists and indigenous knowledge holders, hence producing more inclusive and successful development plans.

Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.        

Excerpts of Lecture delivered at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 12 June.