Article In Press | Published on: May 23, 2026
Volume: 3, Issue: 1
1. Senior Researcher at the Institute of Physics of the Earth, Retired.
DOI: null
Corresponding Author: Salisu Tukur, Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Nigeria.
Citation: Salisu.T.(2026). Indigenous Education in Nigeria: Philosophical Foundations, Practices, and Contemporary Relevance, Proceedings of the International Academy of Sciences, RPC Publishes,3(1);1-6.
Copyright: © 2026 Salisu Tukur, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Background: Before the advent of Islamic and Western education, Nigeria operated a well-established indigenous education system rooted in African philosophical traditions. This system, though informal in structure, was purposeful, functional, and deeply integrated with the cultural, social, and economic life of communities. Understanding its philosophical foundations and practices is essential for addressing contemporary educational challenges.
Objective: This conceptual paper critically examines the philosophical foundations, goals, curriculum, methodologies, and characteristics of indigenous education in Nigeria, with a view to identifying elements that remain relevant for contemporary educational practice.
Methods: Employing philosophical analysis of existing literature, this paper synthesizes scholarship on African indigenous education, drawing upon works by Fafunwa, Ocitti, Kanu, and others to construct a comprehensive conceptual framework.
Results: The analysis reveals that indigenous education in Nigeria was grounded in sound philosophical principles including preparationism, functionalism, communalism, perennialism, and holisticism. Its curriculum was comprehensive, covering physical, moral, intellectual, vocational, and social development through practical, participatory methods. The system successfully transmitted cultural heritage, inculcated moral values, developed practical skills, and fostered social cohesion. However, it also exhibited limitations including rigidity, conservatism, lack of standardization, and limited scope for critical inquiry.
Conclusion: Indigenous education offers valuable lessons for contemporary Nigerian education, particularly regarding functionalism, community involvement, character development, and practical skill acquisition. The paper proposes a selective integration of indigenous educational principles into modern curriculum to address gaps in values education, vocational training, and social cohesion.
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