Kenyan Law Professor and renowned Pan-Africanist Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba has consistently delivered scathing critiques of the current African education model, arguing that it is fundamentally broken because it remains a “colonial education” system. In his speeches, including those referenced on platforms like “The Front Post,” he argues that this system is the root cause of the continent’s persistent governance and economic challenges.
The Problem: A Colonial Education Model
Professor Lumumba’s core argument is that African countries have decolonized their governments but failed to decolonize their minds.
- Producing Certificates, Not Change: He asserts that the current formal education system is merely designed to “produce degrees and other certificates” rather than changing the “minds and hearts” of the African people, politicians, and electorates [1.2]. It is a system that promotes rote learning and theoretical knowledge over the critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills needed for modern development [4.4].
- The Missing Link: The system teaches Africans to consume what they do not produce and produce what they do not consume. It fails to instill a sense of African identity and pride, leading to an inferiority complex and an unspoken belief that Africa’s problems must be solved from outside the continent [4.3], [4.2].
- Betraying the Founders’ Vision: Lumumba often laments that the education system has lost the script written by founding fathers like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose vision centered on science and technology to transform society. Instead, institutions have often drifted toward humanities, away from the core disciplines needed for industrial development [1.2].
- Health Crisis Example: He gives a stark example: Africa produces doctors, but the influential elites fly to Europe or Dubai for treatment, demonstrating a lack of faith in their own medical system. This reliance on the West for things like COVID-19 vaccines highlights the failure of the local educational system to foster self-reliance and innovation [4.3].
PLO Lumumba’s Ideas for Fixing the System
Professor Lumumba calls for a radical overhaul—a revolution—to change the political and cultural direction of the continent, starting with education:
- Change of Mind and Heart: The primary goal of the new education must be a “political re-awakening” that changes the minds and hearts of Africans, enabling them to recognize bad leadership and fight corruption [1.2].
- Decolonization of the Mind: Africans must stop viewing their problems through a foreign lens and embrace indigenous culture and history. This requires a deliberate effort to teach African history and culture as central disciplines to solve present problems [2.3], [4.3].
- Focus on Practical Solutions: Universities must be transformed to engage in research that provides practical solutions to African problems and to create tangible connections with local industries to generate transformational knowledge [4.2].
- Embrace Indigenous Languages and Culture: Following the line of thought of Nigerian activists, he supports the idea that the use of indigenous languages as a medium of instruction should be introduced, as it is key to a cultural revolution [2.1], [2.3].
Reference to Nigerian Stalwarts: The Fela Kuti Connection
Professor Lumumba frequently references Nigerian activist stalwarts, particularly the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, to illustrate the kind of revolutionary mindset required:
- Fela as an Immortalized Idea: During the 2017 Felabration event, Lumumba urged Africans to immortalize Fela’s ideas of a corrupt-free society [2.3]. He praised Fela’s non-materialistic nature and his ability to see the deep entrenchment of corruption in Nigeria, which he argues applies across Africa.
- “Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense”: Lumumba’s entire critique of the education system echoes the theme of Fela’s classic song, “Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense.” Fela used the song to metaphorically frame the West as the “teacher” and Africa as the “student,” who is being taught “nonsense” that leads to confusion, corruption, and oppression [2.1].
- Cultural Pride and Identity: Lumumba’s call for Africans to take pride in who they are and embrace their culture directly aligns with Fela’s decision to change his Western name, “Ransom,” to the powerful indigenous name “Anikulapo” (He who carries death in his pouch) [2.3]. This reflects the necessary cultural break from colonial dependency that Lumumba believes must start in the classroom.
In essence, Professor Lumumba sees Fela’s revolutionary music and defiance as the embodiment of the “new kind of education” Africa needs—one that is politically awake, culturally grounded, and fiercely committed to a corrupt-free, self-reliant future.
You can watch the full speech by Professor PLO Lumumba on the education crisis in Africa here: How Africa got a messed up education system – Prof Plo Lumumba explains. This video directly corresponds to the core subject of your request, explaining his perspective on the broken education system in Africa.
