Paper short abstract:

It is imperative for a rethink in approach, not only on how to incorporate African scientific knowledge into the Higher Educational systems, but also on how to dispense this knowledge to serve the global knowledge economy and achieve sustainable social and economic development for the continent.

Paper long abstract:

The binary between African and Eurocentric languages of education has been premised by the assumption that African languages have nothing to offer. African languages have been used in literature and folklore, but not in teaching the hard sciences. The importance of dispensing knowledge in the language learners understand best, cannot be overemphasized (Marton et al (2004, P.32). A community’s intellectual system, including its inherent skills and experiences is rooted in its indigenous knowledge. Knowledge built on African culture and tradition, delivered in African languages stands a better chance of empowering African intellectuals, for Africa’s future.

For Africa to embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution, it is imperative to rethink incorporating African scientific knowledge into Higher Educational systems, to dispense knowledge, for sustainable social and economic development in the continent (Fasokun et al ,2005).

This study examined a rethink of African languages in Higher Education system in the context of Ejagham, a language with over 2million speakers in both Cameroon and Nigeria. This population is likely to increase, especially with burgeoning interest in diaspora relevance, prompted by increase in international migration.

Research Questions

1. What is the importance of using Ejagham in Cameroon’s Higher Education system?

2. What are the main barriers to using Ejagham to generate indigenous scientific and technological knowledge in Cameroon?

3. How can such indigenous scientific and technological knowledge be dispensed to serve global knowledge economy for sustainable social and economic development?

This study has implication for providing a framework for policy-makers, for integrating African value systems globally.