COLONIALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: EXAMINING COLONIAL LEGACIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS IN AFRICA

Joseph Chinedu Ofobuike

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

Email: jofobuike@gmail.com

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between coloniality and environmental sustainability in Africa, focusing on how colonial structures of resource extraction and colonial governance system have shaped present-day environmental concerns. The researcher argues that colonial legacies have entrenched unsustainable practices and institutional frameworks that prioritize resource exploitation over environmental conservation leading to all manner of injustice. Using an analytical approach, the research highlights the enduring colonial legacies of extractive economies, violence and land dispossession that disenfranchise local populations in Africa. It also examines how these colonial structures continue to frustrate sustainable development efforts in post-colonial Africa, perpetuating cycles of environmental issues that further breeds social injustice. The research ultimately aims to contribute to the discourse on decolonial approaches to environmental governance by advocating for a re-imagination of policies and practices to reflect local needs and environmental justice.

Keywords: Coloniality, Environment, Sustainability, Africa, Resource Exploitation.