Universities and the Right to Think in Africa

Studies of academic freedom have mostly focussed on Europe and North America. Yet, any consideration of the societal crises in Africa cannot ignore the collapse of its universities and the very concept of academic freedom on the continent. Much had been expected of the universities. In Africa, the early post-independence universities took off on internationally competitive and solid foundations—thanks to the heritages and traditions bequeathed them by the colonial powers that established them. In these societies, the expectations associated with the formation and performance of the universities have their foundations in the historical evidence furnished by the definitions of success in the West. However, the postcolonial orientations of the universities in Africa have proceeded along different pathways. Ideas taken from one milieu to another can develop in unpredictable ways and may satisfy needs other than those served in their places of origin. Institutions transplanted from one society can be influenced by the practices prevalent in the receiving societies. The forces acting upon such interactions are complex. The resultant transformative impacts are also unpredictable. An appreciation of context is therefore compelling. This article discusses the crisis in Nigeria's political economy and its continued impact on the public universities from the late 1980s to the 2020s [Correction added on 26 July 2024, after first online publication: Preceding sentence has been amended for correctness.]