The Urgent Need for Critical Thinking Education in Africa

Speech delivered by Rebecca A. Daré at the launch of Critical Thinking Education Initiative in Nigeria

Good day, everyone,

Thank you all for having me here today. When we gather like this as a community, it reminds us of something important we often forget, and that is none of us are meant to navigate through this life alone. As humans, we always do better when we learn, think and solve problems together.

Today, I want to talk about two skills that shapes the quality of our lives and the future of our communities: critical thinking and practical problem solving.

Praying is the most escapist activity we currently engage in today as a nation.

With common phrases like “we like am like that” or “that is the Naija way”, we have come to accept chaos and trash treatment as a way of life and the best we can do for ourselves. But should it remain so?

Before I go any further, I would like us to take some time to think about one important question – why has critical thinking declined in Nigeria specifically and Africa in general?

When we identify the answer to that question, then we can begin to solve the problem from the root.

Religion never sees itself as an enemy of thought, instead it presents itself as a beacon of refuge, meaning, moral order and humility in the face of the unknown. Yet beneath this supposed benevolent surface lies a more sinister operation– the surrender of our intellectual freedom. Religious obedience does not merely guide belief; it trains the mind to submit—teaching us not how to think, but when to stop thinking. Over time, asking questions to gain clarity becomes a “sin” and we learn to put up mental barriers around the extent to which we allow ourselves to reason. Limiting our ability to think critically.

This makes religion’s greatest achievement not spiritual enlightenment, but rather the gradual erosion of our capacity to reason freely about reality, morality and ourselves.

We live in an age of information overload, loud often uninformed opinions and constant noise. Every day we are told what to think, who to fear, what to believe, and how to react. In such a world, the ability to engage in critical thinking becomes an act of courage.

Critical thinking is not about winning arguments or determining who is right. It’s about seeking knowledge. It helps us how to listen before we react, to ask salient questions before we passing judgment, and try to gain understanding before dividing ourselves into sides. It means slowing down long enough to ask, Is this true? Does this make sense? What are the consequences of this decision? How can I do better? It is about taking personal responsibility.

As Nigerians, rather than thinking through our problems, we have gotten into the habit of using platitudes: It is well. May God help us. All things happen for a reason, what else can we do etc. This is a negative approach to problem solving. It is a defeatist attitude that shifts the burden of responsibility from us to an external source. We don’t stop to really consider how meaningful our responses are in order to provide valuable contribution. This has not allowed us to build that mindset needed to come up with practical solutions to our challenges. And until we intentionally learn to avoid these thought stopping platitudes, we will keep suffering under our current situation.

When we do this, something powerful happens. Problems stop being dead ends that overwhelm us and start becoming opportunities for us to elevate our lives and communities. Instead of asking, Who is to blame? we begin asking. What can we do? What can we improve? How can we help?

Our society is in chaos today, a state of affairs that has been steadily deteriorating over the last several decades. And we are yet to find a long-term solution to make life more convenient for our citizens.        

Every family faces challenges. Every workplace, neighborhood, every community, every country. The difference between communities that continue to struggle and those that thrive is not the absence of problems—it is the presence of people willing to think clearly and work towards solving problems. One of the major issues we face is our lack of intellectual engagement on how to we solve problems both big and small.

This is the spirit at the heart of organizations like Critical Thinking Education Initiative and The Reflective Human, which promotes something many of us never formally learned in school: the practical life skills that help us become thoughtful, responsible and compassionate human beings. Skills like financial literacy, communication, media literacy, empathy, self-awareness, and constructive dialogue.

Imagine what our neighborhoods could look like if more people paused before reacting. If we listened to understand rather than to win arguments. If we approached disagreements with curiosity instead of hostility. Most solutions don’t require genius—they require patience, listening and cooperation.

Our country is currently embroiled in all kinds of unrest, economic, religious and cultural, but the truth is: most conflicts don’t begin with bad intentions. They begin with misunderstanding, poor communication, or Impatience. Imagine a society where people feel heard. Families where conversations replaced arguments. And a country where differences become our strengths instead of a source for divisions.

This kind of change doesn’t come from policies alone. It starts with individuals—people like you and I who intentionally choose to improve how they engage with others.

Each of us has influence. Every conversation we have, every decision we make, every example we set, contributes to the culture around us. Our children watch how we handle disagreement. Our friends notice how we respond to challenges. Our communities feel the impact of how we treat one another.

So today, I want to offer a simple invitation.

Let us commit to becoming more reflective people. Learning to question our assumptions and listen patiently. To solve problems instead of avoiding them. Or hoping that a messiah is coming to magically solve them for us. Let’s build spaces where people feel safe to think, speak and contribute positively to the society they live in.

Because when people think clearly, act responsibly and care about one another, our communities don’t just function—they flourish.

And the best part is this: we don’t need perfect people to build better communities. We don’t need super brilliant people to make a difference. We just need people who are willing to overcome the fear that has been instilled in them all their lives.

If we must fellowship, let us do so with materials that equip us with real life skills to solve the challenges we face daily. Offering lessons with tangible solutions that will help us think critically. Imagine the things we could achieve if we shifted our focus from excessive religiosity and dependence on external saviors and moved to more human centered reasoning. How much more we would advance our communities and improve one another.  

If we stopped talking to the ceilings, walls and floors, in the name of prayer, we can actually start talking to each other and learn what it takes to build an intelligent and thriving society that benefits us all.

We have a lot of work to do, and I look forward to working with everyone present here today, and all who are ready to join in to challenge the status quo and work towards a Nigeria that values critical thinking and a practical approach to problem solving.

We are worthy and deserve a lot more than what get today, but a better society does not happen by magic, we must be committed to make it work and never give up when things get tough. And judging by everyone gathered here today, I believe that work has already begun.

Thank you.