The Social Sciences and Humanities in Africa: Which Way Forward?

Africa is at the crossroads, torn between the quest to develop and compete with other countries of the world, and the urgent need to solve the plethora of problems haunting her, such as horrific poverty, tribalism, civil strife, widespread diseases etcetera. Against this background, how then does the Social Sciences and Humanities come in?

This paper takes the view that the Social Sciences and Humanities if given its rightful place, both in the curricula and in the socio-economic and political arena, can bring order, stability and a sense of direction to humanity. It is further argued that it would be foolhardy for any policy maker to give priority to the hard or natural Sciences and place the Social Sciences in the back seat.

Development in its entirety does not imply the acquisition of the latest state of the art electrical and electronic equipment, skyscrapers and super-highways. In the paper it is argued that development can only be meaningful if it takes into consideration the feelings, hopes, fears and the thrust of the people’s lifestyles. In short, I mean development with a human face. This is where the Social Sciences and humanities come in.

The paper will first look at the nature and role of the Social Sciences and humanities, the problems/difficulties encountered, then finally, it makes observations/suggestions on which way forward.