African Identities

Akpore, Nicholas; Akano, Richard Damilare

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2588405pmid: N/A

Theatrical traditions are deeply rooted in a society’s history, geography, religion, and cultural values. This study explores the aesthetic evolution of Yoruba theatre, tracing its development from the ritualistic Alarinjo performances through Hubert Ogunde’s professional theatre, the literary and television stages, to the digital filmmaking era. It examines aesthetic elements such as language, costume, music, dance, setting, scripting, themes, cinematic techniques, and mise-en-scène, highlighting how these reflect both cultural continuity and transformation. Using a qualitative methodology grounded in performance theory and aesthetics, the study analyzes selected films to assess how these elements convey meaning in shifting socio-cultural contexts. Findings show that while certain aesthetic values endure, others have been reshaped by socio-political change, technological innovation, and global media influences. By blending indigenous traditions with modern platforms, Yoruba theatre has maintained its cultural essence while evolving to meet new aesthetic and technological demands. This paper contributes to African performance studies by offering a theoretically informed account of how Yoruba theatre negotiates the complex interplay between tradition and modernity.

Keno, Gutema Imana

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2591125pmid: N/A

Indigenous knowledge systems are increasingly attracting the attention of scholars worldwide. However, indigenous peoples’ conceptions of peace have never received the attention they deserve in scholarship and policy. This neglect has undermined the recognition of indigenous knowledge systems and hindered the development of inclusive, culturally grounded approaches to peacebuilding. This study aimed to explore the Oromo indigenous conception of peace (Nagaa) within the Gadaa system as a step toward bridging this knowledge gap. Ethnographic, descriptive, and comparative analytical research designs, along with a qualitative research approach, were used in the study, and data were collected through key informant interviews, field observations, and literature review. The study reveals that the Oromo conceive of peace as a holistic concept that encompasses personal integrity, social justice, harmony with the environment, and spiritual wholeness. Peace, according to the Oromo, is being in the right relationship with oneself, with others, with nature, and with Waaqa (God) rather than merely the absence of physical or structural violence. This conception of peace aligns with established theories of peace and conflict in many ways, though it also transcends these theories in certain respects. The study recommends promoting the Gadaa system as a living African peace framework and advocating for its international recognition and adoption in peacebuilding, education, and scholarship.

Owolabi, Oladunni

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2581773pmid: N/A

The Yoruba social environment embodies rich cultural values, and one of these is the Aso ebi culture. Aso ebi is a cultural practice of the Yoruba that involves wearing a group uniform for ceremonies, showcasing the vibrant dress culture and altruistic values of the Yoruba. The Aso ebi cultural practice in recent times has, however, been marred by some unethical practices, which have called into question its relevance in contemporary Yoruba society. While studies have examined these inherent issues from the religious, ethical and socio-cultural angles, the historical perspective. This paper, therefore, attempts a historical analysis of the Aso ebi cultural practice by exploring its trajectory from pre-colonial to post-colonial times to assess its evolution, emerging trends, and impact on the socio-cultural landscape of the Yoruba. Using primary and secondary data, this paper established that, while the cultural practice emanated out of pure desire to appear in uniform dress to support celebrants, it has been ravaged by practices contrary to the values of the indigenous Yoruba society. This paper concludes that, regardless of these excesses, the cultural practice is widely accepted by ethnic groups beyond the Yoruba in Nigeria and even outside Nigeria, thus, its relevance cannot be overemphasised.

Tolera, Megersa

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2589342pmid: N/A

This study assesses the impact of both formal (government-led) and informal (traditional) peace structures on social cohesion in the Gidda Ayana cluster of the East Wallaga Zone, Ethiopia, a region experiencing ongoing ethnic and political tensions. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research combined qualitative data from interviews with community leaders and residents and focus group discussions with quantitative surveys to evaluate community perceptions. The mapping exercise identified key structures, including formal government institutions and traditional systems such as Jaarusummaa and Shimglina. The assessment of their impact reveals a complex picture: traditional structures are highly respected for their cultural legitimacy and effectiveness in localized conflict resolution, but their influence is diminishing among younger generations due to modern governance and resource constraints. Conversely, while formal structures are better resourced, they often suffer from a lack of community trust due to perceived political bias and a reliance on top-down, often militarized, interventions. The study recommends developing hybrid peace building models that integrate the strengths of both traditional and formal mechanisms, investing in capacity-building for local structures, and actively working to depoliticize ethnic identities to foster more inclusive and effective social cohesion.

Kyei, Simon

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2593932pmid: N/A

This study explores how Ghanaian boarding school environments shape adolescent identity formation through the interaction of institutional practices and Asante Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS). Using an interpretive phenomenological design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with students and cultural elders in selected boarding schools. The findings reveal a dual dynamic, as boarding house routines of discipline, hierarchical authority, and peer regulation often enforce conformity and restrict indigenous expression, while AIKS provides cultural frameworks that nurture belonging, resilience, and moral responsibility. Proverbs, storytelling, and mentorship emerged as vital resources that adolescents use to negotiate institutional pressures and sustain coherent identities. The analysis shows that identity formation in this setting is both psychological and cultural, extending Erikson’s psychosocial model by embedding indigenous epistemologies. The study contributes to developmental psychology and offers policy insights for integrating indigenous knowledge into education to promote holistic adolescent development.

Major, Mulumebet; Beyene, Fekadu; Keno, Gutema Imana; Tadesse, Dereje; Makahamadze, Tompson

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2553569pmid: N/A

This study examines the conflict dynamics and peace-building challenges between the Konso and Ale ethnic groups in Southern Ethiopia. The focal point of the study area, in general, revolves around post-1991 political changes. A qualitative research approach and case study design were used to achieve an interpretive understanding of the conflict dynamics and challenges related to peace-building. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and non-participatory observations. The Koso and Ale people have a long history of cultural and socio-economic interactions, which date back to the 19th century. However, the findings of this study revealed that the Konso-Ale conflict intensified in the post-1991 `political context of the country. Data collection, analysis, and interpretation were informed by the interpretivist/constructivism paradigm in which participants assume a vital role in the building and reconstruction of knowledge and reality. The core finding of this study is that inter-ethnic conflicts result from multiple factors that led them to mutual contestation. Based on these findings, the researchers recommended that strengthening both legal and informal institutions, building mutual understanding through independent peace committees, and maintaining defined boundaries are essential steps in promoting sustainable peace in the study area.

Chukwuma, Nzube A.

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2580579pmid: N/A

Recent unconstitutional changes of government (UCG) in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger have made West Africa the region with the highest number of successful coups and counter-coups in Africa. While these coups have been relatively bloodless, the coups undermine the progress made toward democratization in West African countries. With the help of datasets from the Varieties of Democracy (V-DEM) and the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), the study examines the resurgence of UCG in these countries. First, I argue that the UCG reflect the influence of strongman politics that tilt overall governance toward electoral autocracy and closed autocracy in these countries. Next, I highlighted three governance pillars from the IIAG: economic opportunity foundations, security and the rule of law, and the participation, rights, and inclusion of citizens to demonstrate how these conditions in the four West African countries create an environment where UCG are politically rationalised and, in effect, auto-legalised coups and counter-coups. Therefore, whether in the ECOWAS or not, West African countries need to legislate against UCG in their constitutions and also aim to adhere to protocols on democracy to reduce the likelihood of future coups.

Abdoulaye, Haoua; Garba, Mariam

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2591212pmid: N/A

This article analyzes the complexities of African decorative arts and handicrafts in Cameroon, scrutinizing the art distinctions and their impact on artists’ identities, livelihoods, and market valuations. It examines experiences and strategies artists utilize to navigate market inequalities and the marginalization of their artwork. Highlighting the enduring effect of colonial exploitation on art, the article advocates for more inclusive appreciation of African material culture. By exploring the blurred lines between indigenous and contemporary, authentic versus fake, it calls for a re-evaluation of African decorative arts, promoting a nuanced appreciation that respects the diversity of the African art.

Ilesanmi, Omolade

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2593938pmid: N/A

This study examines the discursive patterns of youth activism in virtual tweets on #EndSARS protest. The study relies on Van Leeuwen’s Representation of Social Actors’ approach to Critical Discourse Analysis. Eleven tweets of #EndSARS protesters constitute data for the study. Findings show that tweets of virtual #EndSARS protesters are marked by five specific recurring contextual issues: government’s negligence, insecurity, human rights violation, extrajudicial killing and police brutality which are discursively instantiated by reference, inference, shared situation, pronoun, sarcasm, irony, symbolism and metaphor. Five linguistic acts feature in the texts: blaming, condemning, exposing, justifying and predicting and are realized through discourse strategies of activation, identification, exclusion, passivation, genericisation, association, assimilation, specification, dissociation, overdetermination, backgrounding and collectivisation. Nigerian youths are presented as victims and as a resolute cohesive social group; politicians/government as suppressors and murderers; Nigerian police as exploiters and a disreputable unit; and Nigerian army as terrorists and a brutal military unit.

Okeke, Dennis E.

doi: 10.1080/14725843.2025.2581768pmid: N/A

My essay focuses on the emergence of cultural border rhetoric among African Catholic bishops that functions to ‘un-Africanize’ homosexuality following Pope Francis’s Fiducia supplicans, which called for the pastoral blessings of couples (Catholic or otherwise) in irregular situations and of couples of the same sex across the globe. I argue that the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar’s (SECAM) No Blessing for Homosexual Couples in the African Churches performs a salient function other than Catholic doctrinal reinforcement on sex and marriage: SECAM’s paradoxical protest against Fiducia supplicans operates as protection of what I call the ‘African cultural border’ from seemingly ‘insidious’ postcolonial Catholic sex and marriage politics. Through rhetorical analysis, I unravel how pastoral care in Catholic churches on the continent becomes a tool of exclusion (and oppression by extension), as African Catholic bishops mobilize religio-cultural rhetoric to assert postcolonial sovereignty and consolidate heteronormative power. This exclusionary discourse obscures Africa’s internal cultural diversity and weaponizes ‘authenticity’ to suppress African queer identities. I use postcolonial cultural bordering as a critical analytic to unsettle the paradox of how African Catholic bishops reject LGBTQ+ rights as Western impositions while embracing Catholicism, itself a colonial import with a brutal history.