Behind the Clouds: Teaching and Researching Anthropology in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper focuses on teaching and researching of anthropology as a culture centred discipline in Nigeria. It notes that in spite of decades of emergence as a university discipline, anthropology has not been able to break through the negative clouds of colonialism and subjugation to its twin discipline, sociology. Factors responsible for the poor state of teaching and research in anthropology in Nigeria include institutional and structural incapacities and limitations, a curriculum that fails to address both the aspirations of the students and the role of the discipline in national development as well as the inability of the anthropologists themselves to rise up to the dynamic challenges of contemporary Nigerian society. In view of the foregoing, there is need for a serious rethinking and fundamental restructuring of the discipline focusing essentially on the curriculum, professionalism and development values of the discipline. It is only through the above that teaching and researching in anthropology would be more fruitful to both theoretical and practical concerns as an authentic narrative and imagery of African cultural realities. Résumé Cette communication est focalisée sur l'enseignement et la recherche de l'Anthropologie comme une discipline centrée sur la culture au Nigéria. Bien qu'on note son émergence depuis des décénnies comme une discipline universitaire, l'Anthropologie, avec sa soeur jumelle qu'est la sociologie, n'a pas pu percer la vision négative du colonialisme et de la conquête. Les facteurs à la base du mauvais état de l'enseignement et de la recherche en Anthropologie au Nigéria, ont trait à une incapacité institutionnelle et structurelle, des limites et

Studying Africa – Then and Now

“…Edlyne Anugwom (2007) argues that while the themes on which contemporary African anthropologists work are perceptive, critical, and forward thinking, the integration of anthropology into African universities is proceeding very slowly. New researchers are not invested in the theoretical models of the past, and are trying to create new approaches.…”