The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Taiwo Oseni Afisi, has stressed the importance of integrating African wisdom and indigenous knowledge systems into modern technology and education.

Prof. Afisi, a renowned philosopher and scholar, made the call while delivering the university’s 108th Inaugural Lecture, titled “The Oracle and the Open Society: Rethinking the Evolution of Authority and the Pursuit of Epistemic Justice in African Philosophical Thought.”

According to him, no matter how advanced, artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies cannot replace the depth and guidance offered by African wisdom and indigenous knowledge systems.

He stressed the need for societies to shift from simply acquiring information to embracing ethical, historically aware, and culturally anchored wisdom.

The professor advocated for “epistemic pluralism,” which involves rigorously engaging with indigenous African knowledge systems as relevant frameworks for scientific, moral, and political advancement.

He also called for a radical review of the curriculum at all levels to integrate African perspectives in science, logic, ethics, and civic instruction.

Afisi noted that Africa’s educational architecture must reflect its identity and intellectual autonomy, not through superficial gestures, but substantive, dialogical reasoning and rooted pedagogies.

He emphasised that the curriculum must not only be decolonized but also philosophically grounded in African realities.

On digital innovation, the DVC urged African tech stakeholders to develop AI systems that embody communal values such as fairness, transparency, and accountability.

He stressed that technological development in Africa must go beyond adoption to active design and innovation grounded in African values.

The professor envisioned an African society where technological advancement is tempered by moral clarity, education guided by critical awareness, and governance rooted in dignity, dialogue, and philosophical reflection.

“Let Africa not only thrive in data but lead in wisdom. Let the oracle speak. Let the algorithm listen. Let the people reason together. And may the African open society not be a borrowed idea, but a living tradition, critically reconstructed, philosophically grounded, and ethically sustained.”