Decolonising African Art Pedagogical Practice: Extrapolating the Context of Artistic Erudition in Nigeria

Abstract

There is a global trend towards decolonising knowledge output,particularly on the African continent and, by extension, Nigeria in West Africa. This raises questions about the nature of Western educational philosophy, which is viewed as having an impact on individual growth, achievement, self-actualization, and society expectations. Still, this paradigm is unsuitable for the African environment, indicating an attempt to westernise the African art curriculum. Since the post-republican era in Nigeria, scholars have argued about the heterogeneity that comes with instruction communication and the incapacity of its environment to achieve human development and societal transformation. However, there is a paucity of research into the peculiarity of the African art education setting, which would allow for adequate absorption of what distinguishes African knowledge production from that of the West or Global North. This study provides a case study analysis of how practical art knowledge is distributed in Nigeria in order to obtain insight into how the curriculum material 
compares to other contexts around the world. This paper explores how practical art knowledge is taught in apprentice or internship 
settings, as well as less formal college and university settings. According to the study, there is occasionally a gap between how art instruction is disseminated and the socioeconomic environment outside of school in Nigeria. The study reveals that there appears to be a lesser disconnect of these elements in in western or northern contexts. Bearing this in mind, this paper argues that the decolonisation of pedagogical practice in the arts should be considered in the perspective of diverse requirements for artist in Nigeria and in Africa as the case applies. The comprehension of specific context of knowledge production in Nigeria stand a chance of providing a model for decolonising pedagogical practice in Nigeria.