Decolonizing Education: Exploring the Role of Indigenous Languages in shaping Home-Grown Education Policy in South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

The study on indigenous languages as a catalyst for decolonising education and shaping home-grown education policy in Southwestern Nigeria aims to examine the nuances through which the Yoruba indigenous language serves as a tool for cultural revitalisation, promoting cultural identity and enhancing pedagogical relevance through policy decisions on education. The research is anchored on Decolonisation Theory. An interview guide is used to elicit information from respondents. The data from the respondents are analysed using the NVivo software and project maps. The study identified the point of departure and the gaps, which include the inherited colonial language of instruction, Western-oriented education policies, and curriculum design that are Euro-centric and not Afro-centric in most cases. These are the various challenges and realities that educators and learners are grappling with, and these call for concern. The study reveals that the alienation of the indigenous language and knowledge in South-Western Nigeria’s formal education setting keeps promoting the colonial hegemony and legacies in the education sector. The study therefore recommends the renaissance of indigenous languages and policies for the promotion of knowledge.

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