Science or superstition? Unpacking the onto-epistemological barriers of legitimizing Ifá as an alternative scientific knowledge in Nigerian higher education

This chapter unravels the intersection of colonial legacies, epistemic injustices, and the marginalization of indigenous knowledge systems, specifically Ifa as a legitimate scientific epistemology within Nigerian higher education (HE). It appropriates Fricker's concepts of hermeneutical and testimonial injustice to explicate how Western epistemological frameworks and the influence of Abrahamic religions through colonization continue undermining Ifa's legitimacy as a scientific and epistemic system. In addition, it highlights Ifa's potential as a holistic knowledge system ringfencing cosmology, ethics, decision making, and probability and presents it as a viable alternative to Eurocentric scientific paradigms. The discussion, therefore, advocates for decolonizing science education with a sense of urgency, emphasizing the necessity of recognizing Ifa's potential to contribute to global knowledge and promote equity in epistemic representation.