Towards an Original African Philosophy of Justice: Reconstructing Normative Foundations from Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-Fulani Ethical Traditions

This dissertation develops an original African philosophy of justice by systematically reconstructing the normative foundations embedded in Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-Fulani ethical traditions across Nigeria's South West, South East, and North West geopolitical zones, producing a philosophically rigorous theory of justice adequate to contemporary Nigerian and African governance challenges. Existing theories of justice, including Rawlsian liberalism, Nozickian libertarianism, and utilitarian variants, are grounded in individualist metaphysical premises that inadequately represent African communitarian ontology, yet no systematic comparative construction of an African philosophical alternative has been attempted from these three traditions. The dissertation employs a three-phase methodology: systematic philosophical reconstruction of justice concepts from each tradition using ethnophilosophical and analytical tools; comparative philosophical synthesis identifying shared and divergent structural features; and critical dialogue with global justice theories to establish the original theory's philosophical standing. Primary data from 80 interviews with traditional philosophers, oral tradition custodians, and academic philosophers across the three zones, combined with systematic analysis of 200 secondary sources, provide the empirical foundation. The dissertation proposes the Relational Justice Theory as an original philosophical contribution, specifying that just distributions, procedures, and recognition practices must satisfy three communitarian criteria: relational dignity, reciprocal obligation, and restorative correction. Theoretical implications extend to African constitutional design, international justice, and postcolonial philosophy. Keywords: African philosophy of justice, Yoruba ethics, Igbo philosophy, Hausa-Fulani thought, relational justice.