Place of indigenous knowledge in the future of learning and sustainable development in Africa

There is no sustainable development without indigenous people. Knowledge, as a matter of fact has become the major driving force of economic and social development all around the world, and indigenous knowledge is vital to the development of any nation. This paper looks at the place of indigenous knowledge in the future of learning and sustainable development in Africa. It is an opinion paper whereby various related literatures were consulted. The paper discusses the concept of main keywords, which are indigenous, indigenous people, indigenous knowledge and sustainable development. The objectives of this paper are to find out who indigenous people are and importance of indigenous knowledge. It tends to explain indigenous knowledge in relation to some sustainable development goals and how indigenous knowledge can be integrated into education system in Africa. The paper points out the relevance and challenges of indigenous knowledge for development. In the areas of relevance, the paper observes that indigenous knowledge has become a more effective and efficient agent of development through the use of indigenous contents to meet the needs of the community. Indigenous institutions, indigenous technology, and low-cost approaches can increase the efficiency of development programs because indigenous knowledge is a locally owned and managed resource. The paper concludes that if the communities’ members must be carried along in sustainable development, the issue of indigenous knowledge must be taken seriously and should be made a priority by all stakeholders involved.