ISSN 2360-7998
Abstract
This article offers a rigorous critique of the Eurocentric underpinnings of mainstream International Relations theory and exposes their profound inadequacy for grasping African political realities. I argue that the Westphalian narrative – long the organizing schema of IR – operates as a form of intellectual imperialism that systematically marginalises African perspectives. Drawing on interdisciplinary evidence and a grounded case study, the paper shows how this hegemonic pedigree has produced conceptual lacunae in how we understand statehood, sovereignty, and the distribution of power across the African continent. Decolonisation, the argument proceeds, was never only a question of political emancipation; it has always been an ongoing struggle for epistemic liberation from European analytical frames. Through a careful examination of Nigeria’s educational structures and the institutional emergence of African Studies, I point to viable pathways for recentring African epistemologies within global political thought. The concluding plea is for theoretical pluralism in political philosophy so that analysis of African political life becomes more accurate, inclusive, and respectful of historical specificity.
Keywords: Decolonisation, African political thought, Westphalian sovereignty, Intellectual imperialism, Global International Relations, Epistemic pluralism