Fostering University Contribution Towards Sustainable Development: The Instrumentality of Indigenous Knowledge System

Universities are often seen as drivers of change in their regions of operation through research, teaching, engagement and enterprise activities. This is significant in Africa where several universities are state owned, rely on government subsidies, and possess a mission to promote the sustainable development of the nation. Whilest the UN sustainable development goals provide an opportunity for Africa to achieve its development targets, we examined the role of the university. More specifically, we considered the significance of Indigenous knowledge to a university’s mission towards development. This is pivotal, as Africans and their institutions provide leadership to the transformation of their nations, not just in terms of knowledge production but also integration. We adopted a multiple case-study design that recruited participants from Zambia (N = 50) and The Gambia (N = 40) comprising academics, university managers and community members. Participants took part in relational dialogues that address the intersection between Indigenous knowledge, the university’s mission and sustainable development. Findings from a comprehensive data analysis posit the need for the university in Africa to re-envision its teaching and research architectures for sustainable development. The chapter underscores that Indigenous knowledge holders should be provided space to contribute to the curricula if the teaching mission of the university would result in graduates who are suited to contribute to the continent’s development with sustainable outcomes. Similarly, it is argued that Indigenous people can be co-researchers, who can identify and provide indigenised methodological insights into the investigation of complex development challenges faced by their communities.