An Original Contribution to Curriculum Theory: Developing an Afrocentric Curriculum Philosophy for Nigerian Basic Education

An Afrocentric curriculum philosophy that positions African communal values, indigenous knowledge systems, and African historical consciousness at the centre of curriculum design, rather than at the periphery, represents a transformative contribution to Nigerian Basic Education curriculum theory and practice. This study developed an original Afrocentric Curriculum Philosophy for Nigerian Basic Education, drawing on African philosophical sources, curriculum theory analysis, and empirical grounding across primary schools in all six geopolitical zones. A philosophical and theory-building methodology was employed, engaging systematically with Ubuntu philosophy, Ngugi wa Thiong'o's decolonisation thought, Mazama's Afrocentricity framework, and Nigerian indigenous educational philosophy scholarship. Critical curriculum analysis across 30 primary school curriculum documents from six states identified that Afrocentric content was present in 11.4 percent of curriculum materials, communal values were addressed in 24.6 percent, and African historical consciousness was cultivated in 7.8 percent. Structured consultations with 40 educational philosophers, curriculum specialists, and community educational leaders across six zones generated principles for Afrocentric curriculum design. The original Afrocentric Curriculum Philosophy for Nigerian Basic Education proposes seven philosophical commitments: communal knowledge construction, African value system embedding, indigenous language knowledge primacy, historical consciousness cultivation, Ubuntu relational pedagogy, community wisdom as curriculum authority, and African futures orientation. Each commitment is operationalised with curriculum design criteria and teacher practice implications. Expert review by 24 curriculum philosophers and African educational scholars confirmed the philosophy's original contribution.

Keywords: Afrocentric curriculum, curriculum philosophy, Basic Education, Nigeria, original contribution