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factor for mutual understanding and respect among various world 
cultures, and that there is the possibility of African ontology 
remaining impervious or losing itself to it. Based on the findings, 
the paper concluded that though a cultural datum, African 
ontology should expand its world-view and refuse to be left 
behind in positive changes of inter-culturalism that would bring 
about mutual understanding and progress among all cultures.  It 
was then suggested that more attention should be given to those 
things that are similar and connective to all cultures than those 
which separate them. 

Keywords: Ontology, Culture, Africa, Inter-culturalism, 
Philosophy 

Introduction
 Different groups of people or societies have always been 
identified with one form of culture or another. In other words, 
culture serves as the principal identifier of a people or society. 
Society in this sense can be taken at the continental level, national 
level, regional level, ethnic nationality level, or community level. 
Hence people talk of African culture, European culture, Western 
culture, Eastern culture, Igbo culture, Yoruba culture, Enugu-
Ezike culture, Awka culture, and so on. Culture is generally 
referred to as a people's way of life. Within each society, there are 
certain practices common to all its members, but often at variance 
with outsiders, thus fact of cultural specifics. It is within these 
cultural specifics that each people's ontology emanates and makes 
meaning. People's ontology is therefore culture-bound, and it 
forms the basis of their being, world-views, interactions among 
themselves, with their environments, and in relation to others 
outside their cultural enclave. In philosophical perspective, 
ontology has to do with the reality of human beings or existing 
objects (Homework.com, 2023).

African Ontology as a Cultural Datum in the Light of 
Intercultural Realities in Africa: A Philosophical Reflection

   DR GREG EKEH
   g.ekeh@unizik.edu.ng

   08030533141
Department of Educational Foundations Nnamdi Azikiwe 

University, Awka

&
DR. ADAOMA IGWEDIBIA
ae.igwedibia@unizik.edu.ng
            08036915201
Department of English Language

and Literature
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka

Abstract
This paper is a philosophical reflection on African ontology as a 
cultural datum in the light of intercultural realities in 
contemporary Africa. The aim of the paper was to establish the 
truth of African ontology as authentically rooted in the African 
culture, and the need for it to be open to inter-culturalism in a 
positive way, without losing its core values and identity. Methods 
of analysis of concepts, contextual interpretation and critical 
analysis were used. Concept of ontology and itscharacteristics 
were explored. African ontology, intercultural realities, 
multicultural education, as well as intercultural communication 
training, the meeting points of all cultures, implications of 
intercultural realities for African ontology were critically and 
objectively investigated and ascertained. The findings of the study 
showed that African ontology is truly a cultural datum, without 
any admixture of borrowing from external cultures or as a result of 
intellectual gymnastics. It was also discovered that intercultural 
reality has gained global attention and acceptance as a veritable 

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 Light of Intercultural  Realities in Africa  A Philosophical Reflection

mailto:g.ekeh@unizik.edu.ng
http://g.ekeh@unizik.edu.ng
http://ae.igwedibia@unizik.edu.ng


understanding as a cultural datum. Next will be intercultural 
realities, the meeting points in intercultural realities, implications 
of intercultural realities to African identity, and a critical appraisal. 
Philosophical methods of concept analysis and meaning, 
contextual interpretation and critical reflection will be employed 
throughout the discourse. In the course of doing this, references 
will be made to relevant literature. The aim of the paper is to 
contribute to the growth of literature and knowledge about African 
culture and its peculiar characteristics and values. The paper also 
aims to underscore the need for African ontology to be open to 
positive changes as a result of inter-culturalism, but at the same 
time retain its cherished particular core values, so as to maintain its 
identity rather than be bamboozled in its interaction with other 
cultures, or lost in the maze of intercultural realities, which has 
become the feature of the contemporary era. 

Ontology
 Ontology is a branch of metaphysics that studies the 
origins, nature, and mode of human existence and operations. It 
also studies being as being, as well as other related concepts such 
as existence and reality. It is a philosophical study of beings which 
is interested in the categorization of entities and their fundamental 
levels of existence. Thus ontology can discuss beings in terms of 
humans, substances, properties, states of affairs, spirits, relations 
and events. Ontological concepts such as particularity and 
universality, contingence and necessity, abstractness and 
concreteness, are characteristically applied to such entities to 
determine their dependent or independent existence at their most 
fundamental levels. Over the years, debates have been going on as 
to whether entities within a certain category do have their 
independent existence, and if they have, then what are their 
relationships to other entities (Hofweber). Ontology is also 
understood as the science of being in general, or the study of being 
alive and existing (Vocabulary.com Dictionary).

 Before the advent of civilization, scientific and 
technological breakthroughs, most cultures were closed in on 
themselves, with rigid tenacity on their primitive rituals and social 
practices, both positive and negative ones (for example, 
communalism in Africa, individualism in Europe, the killing of 
twins in Igbo land, slavery, widowhood practices, and lots more), 
some of which persist till today in some remote areas. Among the 
Maasai people of Kenya and Northern Tanzania for instance, 
spitting is viewed as a mark of respect, and so is used to say 
goodbye to friends, seal a bargain or wish someone good luck 
(Marchant, 2018). 
 However, with the advent of civilization, colonialism, 
science and technology, cultural contacts have become the order 
of the day, to the extent that intercultural reality is now taking the 
centre-stage at various levels of human encounters across the 
globe. With the world now a global family, no culture, no matter 
how superior or ancient it feels, can boast of remaining the same or 
aloof, and African culture is not an exception. To dig into and 
explore African ontology as a cultural datum in the light of this 
reality is deemed an idea whose time has come. African ontology 
is deeply rooted in the heart of African cultural tenet and 
perception about the being of human person. “In traditional 
Africa, the individual exists corporately – communally. They 
depend, for existence, on the community, which includes past, 
present and future generations” (Shimiyu 45). 

 Against the above backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to 
investigate and present African ontology as a cultural datum 
(given), inherent in African culture, in the face of intercultural 
realities sweeping through the contemporary Africa and the world 
at large. Specifically, the study focuses on conceptualizing 
ontology and its characteristics such as particulars and universals, 
abstracts and concretes, dependence and independence, and 
identity. This is followed by African ontology and its 

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reflected in every culture. In general, all the visible entities are said 
to be concrete, while the invisible ones are regarded as abstract. 
Human beings, animals, and trees are examples of concrete 
entities, while spirits, thoughts, souls, propositions, and numbers 
are examples of abstract entities.   In spite of these outstanding 
features, based on the visibility and invisibility of the concrete 
versus abstract, it is difficult to arrive at an agreement regarding 
the essential marks that differentiate the concrete from the 
abstract. 
 However, most of the differentiations are made on the 
basis of spatiotemporal existence of the concrete and non-
spatiotemporal of the abstract, or that the concrete has causes and 
effects while the abstract has not, or on the basis of contingency 
and necessity on the parts of concrete and abstract respectively. In 
every culture, these differentiations are witnessed in one way or 
another. In the African culture, there is always a belief in the 
existence of the abstract and the concrete, the former being 
assigned to the invisible and the latter to the visible. One is 
believed to be in the realm of the spirit, and the other in the realm 
of the physical universe.

Ontological Independence and Dependence
 Independence and dependence are two opposing concepts 
that have been major areas of discussion in philosophy. It is clear 
from human experience that some beings cannot exist on their 
own without the existence of another. These kinds of beings are 
referred to as dependent beings. Where the opposite is the case, the 
beings are referred to as independent. For instance, a branch of a 
mango tree cannot exist on its own without the mango tree itself. 
As a consequence, it can be said that the branch is ontologically 
dependent on the tree. All the entities that exist as properties or 
characteristics (such as the shell of an egg, or the peel of bananas) 
in their basic entities are categorized as dependent. 
Ontological dependence as explained above, is different from 

Particulars and Universals
 The problem of particulars and universals has been a 
persisting one in philosophy. There has always been a contrast 
between the particulars and universals (Ted). The term 
“particular” refers to the individual, with its peculiar 
characteristics or attributes, which the individual does not share 
with other entities. “Universal”, on the other hand, refers to 
features that are manifested by various different particulars 
(MacLeod). In the case of a black colour, for instance, a charcoal 
and black-stone manifest the universal blackness. This means that 
universals can be manifested in various places at the same time, 
while the particulars cannot. The problem is how to come to terms 
with different things having the same feature, and whether the 
universal can exist on its own without being exemplified by 
something (ante res), or must be exemplified in things (in rebus). 

 In cultural context, this implies that there are particular as 
well as universal characteristics of all cultures. For instance, 
valuing life, dancing, marriage, and farming, among others, are 
universal to every culture. That is to say that every culture 
cherishes life, engages in dancing, marriage and farming. 
However, the ways these are done vary from culture to culture. 
Mode of dressing, types of food and world-views, for instance, are 
not the same in every culture. Even in the midst of cultural 
contacts, people are always conscious of their own world-views, 
especially as they concern their idea of being in their various 
dimensions. Understanding and appreciating these similarities 
and differences are essential factors that bring about mutual 
respect, harmony, peaceful coexistence and progress.

Abstract and Concrete
 Another important issue in ontology is that of abstract and 
concrete. Philosophers are in accord regarding the existence of 
these concepts and the differences between them. This is also 

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of what it is in itself (Williams). In other words, each entity or 
being is identical with itself.
 The problem of identity has been an enduring one in 
philosophy. Sometimes it is confused with unity. However, 
(Guarino and Welty 2) state that

strictly speaking, identity is related to the 
problem of distinguishing a specific instance of a 
certain class from other instances by means of a 
characteristic property, which is unique for it 
(that whole instance). Unity, on the other hand, is 
related to the problem of distinguishing the parts 
of an instance from the rest of the world by means 
of a unifying relation that binds them together 
(not involving anything else).

 The above view indicates that identity is an indicative of a 
thing's wholeness devoid of fragmentation or constituting of parts 
that augment to make it what it is. The identity of anything resides 
in its own unique quality and character. In other words, a thing is 
what it is, and on that basis it should be identified. However, 
identity can be approached from multiple perspectives, since it is 
one of the contested constructs in the light of other variables 
(Moghadam). Identity, therefore, is classified into certain 
categories by scholars. Such categories include individual identity 
(Ericson), social identity (Tajfel), collective identity (Melluci), 
philosophical identity (Derrida), and cultural identity (Norton). 
Cultural identity is the focus in the context of this paper.

 Culture refers to the beliefs, values, norms, behaviours and 
attitudes that are considered acceptable by and within a group of 
people (Wilson). Cultural identity depicts the unique interaction 
between the individual or group and the components of culture, 
embracing nationality, language, history, ethnicity, geographical 
location and religion (Moghadam). (Vygotsky) states that culture 
is a significant factor in the formulation of the individuals' identity. 

causal dependence. In ontological dependence, there is an 
inseparable attachment between the dependent and independent 
entities, while in causal dependence there is a separation between 
the being of the dependent entity and that of the independent. For 
instance, fire can cause a smoke, which has its own separate being 
from the fire. This is not the case with regard to a ball of orange and 
its peel. According to (Tahko and Lowe), ontological dependence 
is of two types: rigid and generic. As explained by (Erics) rigid 
dependence refers to a dependence on one specific entity, such as 
the surface of an apple on its specific apple, while generic 
dependence involves a weaker form of dependence, merely on a 
certain type of entity. An example of this, according to (Tahko and 
Lowe) is the electricity which depends on charged particles, but 
not on any specific or specified charged particle. 

 African ontology is very much characterized by this idea 
of relational dependence and independence of beings. In the 
African cultural setting, it is believed that the independent beings 
are superior to the dependent ones and vice versa; hence there is a 
hierarchy of beings in the African world. Individuals depend on 
the community, the community depends on the larger society, and 
so it goes till the apex is reached, which is the Supreme Being.

Ontological Identity
 Identity is at the root of being and existence. According to 
Erikson and Agerfalk (2021), identity is fundamental to ontology 
since it addresses the very existence of objects and conceptual 
systems as a whole. Identity is one of the three basic laws of 
thought. The other two are the laws of non-contradiction and 
excluded middle. These three laws are believed to have originated 
from Aristotle, who argued that they are necessary for rational 
thinking, and that without them rational thinking would not take 
place. (Williams).  The law of identity states that each existing 
thing is made up of its own particular characteristics that are part 

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world.According to (Ekeh 89), “African ontology refers to the 
traditional African metaphysical convictions about the nature of 
beings that inhabit the African world”. “African world” in this 
context is not to be understood in a geographical sense, but in a 
conceptual sense, that is, the way the Africans conceptualize, 
understand and attach meaning to the world and its events, 
especially with regard to beings and their interactions. 

 Although all beings are seen as beings, the African 
believes that God is the Creator and owner of every other thing that 
exists, both visible and invisible, especially in their socio-
economic politico- religious activities. This is not only in relation 
to the living, but also the yet-to-be-born and the ancestors, who are 
in continuous interaction among themselves. According to 
(Ukwamedua and Omokpo 272), “there are three worlds in the 
African worldview, namely the ancestral world, the world of the 
yet unborn and the world of the living, and they are 
interconnected”. The ancestral world belongs to the world of the 
spirit, which includes deities and other spirits. These spirits are 
God's agents and messengers. While the living pray to and honour 
the spirits, including the ancestors, the spirits and ancestors offer 
them protection and intercede for them in the presence of God, the 
Supreme Being. With their own efforts and the assistance of the 
spirits and God's benevolence, the living are able to see to their 
own welfare and that of the future generation. This word-view is 
rooted in the African culture, the elements of which they see as 
inherent components of their lives. Such components include 
cuisine, religious beliefs, socio-economic activities, and politics, 
among others. 

 All these various aspects of life are viewed as a unity. 
There is no severance of one being from another in African 
ontology, even though all beings are not the same. For the African, 
every being is relevant in one way or another. With the exception 

This is because, from their childhood, they had been learning from 
multi-dimensional interactions with the more experienced and 
elderly people and other environmental elements around them, 
and this plays a vital role in shaping their mindset and cognitive 
growth. 

 Cultural identity involves sharing of characteristics by a 
group of people who are recognized by exhibiting such 
characteristics. Such characteristics include birth-place, 
language, religion, social behaviour, art, literature, music, 
dressing, cuisine, and marriage rites, among others. These 
characteristics are often cherished as values by the people of the 
culture, and they form the basis of their interactions among 
themselves as well as their relationship with people of other 
cultures. People form their cultural identity by subconsciously 
imbibing, interpreting, incorporating, assimilating and practicing 
values and signals from the people and events around them into 
their own pattern of life, without questioning or critical reflection 
on their objective validity or implications in life.

African Ontology
 African ontology is the African metaphysical perspective 
on being and life in general, and particularly the being of humans, 
their living and interaction with others and their environments, 
both as individuals and as communities. African ontology is the 
African's understanding of all beings as being in their hierarchical 
order. In African ontology, God is at the apex of beings, followed 
by the spirits, human beings, animals, plants and inanimate 
objects, with the human person at the centre, however (Kanu). It is 
worthy of note that in the African world, there are various 
categories of being, having their specific roles and yet in constant 
interaction among themselves in various dimensions. This belief 
is at the heart of African culture and informs the African 
worldview – a comprehensive view of life, humanity and the 

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perspective on being is fundamental and basic to every other 
perspective.  
As has been noted, African ontology is the African's metaphysical 
perspective on being and life in general. There is no other basic 
way this could have emanated save from African way of life, 
otherwise known as culture. It implies that African ontology is a 
cultural datum. It is a product of African culture, that is. Some of 
the African core cultural values include sacredness of human life, 
respect for elders, communal living, socialization, oral 
communication, sense of belonging, kinship identity, 
collaboration, filial love, responsibility, hospitality, harmonious 
living, empathy and common good of all. 

 Having got thus far, it is worthy of note that attentions of 
scholars are now being so drawn with rapidity to the truth of 
cultural realities globally that it can perhaps be argued that a 
melting pot for all cultures is in the offing. Apparently, there is no 
longer any hiding place for any culture, whether considered as 
superior or inferior. Yet, there is this undeniable yearning, coupled 
with effort making, by every society, to uphold their core cultural 
particularities and stand out authentically even in the midst of 
these intercultural realities. In other words, every society would 
want to maintain its cultural identity, in spite of all the mix.  This 
being the case, one would wonder what would become of African 
ontology, which stands Africa out culturally amid other cultures, 
in this sweeping era of intercultural realities.

Intercultural Realities
 The world in which we are living is increasingly becoming 
interconnected in virtually every aspect of human life. The era of 
“we are here; they are there” is speedily phasing out. With 
technological and scientific advancement, most of the factors that 
held people apart in the past, such as distance, lack of fast means of 
transportation, easy means of communication, language barriers, 

of the Supreme Being whose existence is absolute, necessary and 
independent, all other beings are inter-dependent. The way the 
African sees beings, their nature, their interactions and impacts on 
the affairs of the world is apparently original to them. It is borne 
out of lived experience in their cultural settings. It is not as a result 
of intellectual dictates, book learning, research or external 
influence. 

African Ontology as a Cultural Datum
 In the African context, ontology is a foundational fact of 
African culture. It is a basis from which conclusions may be 
reached or drawn. It is not as a result of studies, investigations or 
cultural contacts. It is deeply imbedded in the cultural fabrics of 
Africa. It is the root that gives germination, growth, fruit, meaning 
and sustainability to all the aspects of African beliefs and 
practices, life and activities. What is inferred from this is that 
African ontology is indigenous to Africa and the Africans, rooted, 
as it is, in the African indigenous culture. In other words, African 
ontology is a given by the culture and from the culture of the 
people. It was not borrowed; it was not imported; it was not taken 
over from other people. According to (Agbo 53), “African 
ontology envisages a hierarchical ordering of beings and forces in 
their categories in order of primogeniture with God at the apex”. 

 In African culture, “the content or subject matter of 
Afrocentric ontology emanates from the physical, human/social, 
and spiritual situations of indigenous African societies” (Tchombe 
and Wirdze 63). These are the spiritual, physical and human 
dimensions of being, and the three are inseparable. They are so 
connected that the idea of one existing without the others is alien to 
the African. These different dimensions of being or reality are held 
fast by a spiritual power known as a “vital force”, which itself 
underlies all the dimensions. It is hardly arguable that a people's 
world-view is informed by their culture. Now, a people's 

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describe relationships between the indigenous and Western 
cultural ideals on the basis of mutual respect. Arising as a response 
to the criticisms of policies of multiculturalism which has failed to 
address the issue of inclusiveness of different cultures in the 
society, inter-culturalism is based on the recognition of both 
differences and similarities between cultures (Ewijk). This calls 
for in-depth studies of multiculturalism as well as various cultures 
in their similarities to, and differences from, one another, and the 
implications they may have on social interactions and human 
relations.  What is at stake, therefore, is for people to learn how 
they should go about their differences with mutual understanding 
and respect.  

Multicultural Education
 The need for multicultural education is more urgent in this 
era than ever before. According to (Smagorinsky 2), 
“multicultural education is oriented to including people of all 
forms of socialization, bodily makeup, and other factors of 
differentiation as respected members of society”. Smagorinsky's 
view is very apt to the current situation of things where people 
invariably do not care about others' needs for honour, respect and 
entitlement to decent treatment in scheme of things. For effective 
education in multiculturalism to occur, people need to learn to be 
empathetic to one another and make deliberate efforts to 
understand the peculiar conditions of one another, be it on the 
individual, group, community, national or international level. The 
aim of multicultural education is to get people well informed on 
the inevitability of the differences that exist, and will continue to 
exist, among cultures; to be more sensitive to the needs of the 
people of other cultures; and to learn the practice of social 
inclusion rather than discrimination. 

 This multicultural education has opened a vista of 
knowledge about different cultures in the society at various levels: 

to name but a few, have almost completely collapsed. Intercultural 
reality is a result of increased migration across the globe, 
technological development, social interactions and widespread 
communication systems among various societies and cultures, so 
that there is interconnectedness everywhere.
Intercultural reality, according to (Bekemans 2), refers to a 
situation in society 

where people from different cultures, 
nationalities and ethnic and religious groups 
live in the same area, but are not necessarily in 
contact with one another. What we see in 
intercultural societies is that the mutual 
d i f f e r e n c e s  a r e  o f t e n  t h e  b a s i s  f o r 
discrimination, where minorities may be 
tolerated, but are seldom accepted or 
appreciated. Even the law is not applied equally 
to everyone, despite the fact that legal rights 
exist to counteract these practices.

 From the above view, it follows that intercultural reality, 
while it brings people together, can also a cause of discrimination 
among people. However, it is worthy of note that the essence of 
inter-culturalism is not to lump all cultures into one, or for the so-
called superior cultures to swallow up or overshadow the so-called 
inferior ones. Actually, there can never be a one-culture-world, 
due to differences that are inherent in human nature and culture, 
nor can one culture be truly superior to another, since every culture 
has its odds and evens in various aspects. The essence of inter-
culturalism rather “involves moving beyond mere passive 
acceptance of multiple cultures existing in a society and instead 
promote dialogue and interaction between cultures” (Penas and 
Saenz 15). 

 Inter-culturalism is now stepping beyond its often use to 

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cultures. (Leanne) has a list of such things to include marriage, 
dancing, singing, story-telling, personal names, class systems, and 
standards of beauty. Apart from these, there are other things such 
farming, cooking, legal systems, funeral rites, child upbringing 
and trade. There can be more others. Although the way these 
things are done may differ from culture to culture, the fact remains 
that they are obtained in every culture. There is no culture that is 
alien to marriage, farming, dancing, story-telling, and those other 
things as mentioned above. 
 
 Focusing on these similarities brings people closer than 
focusing on the differences. Molinsky and (Jang) argue that in 
approaching a person, people usually do not think about the 
potential differences that could exist between them, but rather 
focus on finding the meeting points, that is, the things they have in 
common. This gives a better and positive ground for establishing 
relationships. This is to say that focusing on similarities among 
cultures enhances cultural connections, whether at the individual 
or group level. This does not however cancel the need to know the 
differences. Knowing the differences helps in adjustment and 
adaptation. It is advisable to respect the differences, while 
enhancing the similarities. In the presence of similarities, 
differences are transcended or made insignificant. 

Implications of Intercultural Realities to African Ontology
 Intercultural practice is a necessity in this era of 
technological and scientific advancements. These advancements 
have made the entire world a family of a kind, with virtually no 
barriers between and among people of different climes and 
cultures. To expect some implications of this truth for African 
ontology is not out of place. Thus the following implications can 
be drawn:
1. African ontology is communal, compared to the Western 

ontology, which is individualistic (Ekanem, 2012).  In this 

community, local and international, both one's culture and other 
cultures. People are learning that difference does not mean or 
imply contradiction or enmity, and that they can learn a lot from 
the perceived differences; hence the intercultural reality that is 
gaining wider attention and acceptance world-wide, not only 
among scholars and writers, but also among individuals, groups, 
businesses, institutions, nations and international communities. 
There is now a step forward from conceiving different cultures as 
independent (multiculturalism) to different cultures as 
interactional and empathetic (inter-culturalism). There is now a 
shift to an intercultural society where people of different cultures 
coexist, interact, share ideas and experiences, and learn from each 
other and one another, and thus grow in mutual understanding and 
progress.

Intercultural Communication Training
 With multicultural education leading to inter-culturalism, 
there is need for training in intercultural communication. In 
intercultural communication, information, ideas and experiences 
are shared among people across board: different cultures, 
individuals, groups, social settings, religions, ethnic groups, as 
well as educational, social and economic backgrounds. By so 
doing, differences in world-views are understood and utilized for 
the mutual benefit of all. More beneficial still is the knowledge and 
understanding of the similarities and connectedness that exist 
among different cultures. Thus intercultural training enhances the 
practical aspects of intercultural reality.

The Meeting Points
 From studies on multiculturalism, most of the differences 
and similarities between and among cultures have come to the 
fore. It has become obvious that there is a higher level of 
connectedness among various cultures than was thought of before. 
There are so many things that are similar among world different 

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should a continuous dialogue, interaction and openness among 
cultures, within and outside Africa.

7. African ontology is informed by the sense of religion or sense of 
the sacred. This can expose it to attacks or oppositions from 
various quarters in this era of extensive secularism. There is 
need, therefore, to guard this sense of the sacred jealously, for it 
is one of the foundations of the authenticity of African world-
view. It is the ground on which African moral values thrive and 
have meaning for the Africans. This ontological inclination to 
religion plays significant roles in the lives and activities of the 
African people.  

A Critical Appraisal
 Following from the discourses so far, a clear picture of 
African ontology can be discerned. In this, one can see both sides 
of the coin. Objectively viewed, African ontology can be said to be 
authentic in that it has its root in African culture. It is not a 
borrowed ideology or a product of intellectual gymnastics, rather 
it is part and parcel of the people's existence. It is a good thing to 
know that African ontology is original to the people of Africa. A lot 
of good things are experienced from African ontology that are of 
vital importance to humanity. Such values as human life, sense of 
the sacred, sense of the divine, communalism, extended family, 
intergenerational concern and many more, are very important for 
people to live in peace and progress. African culture can offer 
these to other cultures to emulate.

 However, a deep look at the African ontology will also 
reveal some shortfalls. For instance, it has been argued that 
African ontology is primitive and incoherent (Munda), and that it 
is overly influenced by Western ontology, which is individualistic 
(Okolie and Ogbonnaya). African ontology is, therefore, deemed 
to have fallen short dynamism and open-minded approach to 
issues. This has brought a drawback to Africa's engagement in the 

case, the tendency is for African ontology to perceive itself or 
be perceived as a contradiction of the Western ontology. This 
should be avoided. Rather, efforts should be made to learn from 
this difference, by asking and seeking answers to such 
questions as “what are the positive aspects of being communal 
and being individualistic, respectively?” “What are the 
negative aspects?”

2. Sticking to African culture alone is now a challenge to be 
overcome by African ontology. It should no longer restrict 
itself to the triad of the ancestral world, the world of the yet 
unborn and the world of the living. It should be more open to 
dialogue with views of reality as found in other cultures. This is 
of particular challenge to African philosophers and scholars, 
since “there has been attempt by scholars and philosophers 
from different cultures or traditions to systematically and 
actively engage one another in dialogue” (Amadi 35). 

3. African ontology has the duty of liberating itself from self-
insulation, through intercultural education, and leave behind 
the encumbrances imposed by bias as a result of many years of 
colonial domination.

4. While it must maintain its identity and particularity, African 
ontology should not shy away from borrowing ideas from other 
cultures and transforming and adapting them to the suitability 
of the African indigenous needs.

5.  African ontology is also challenged to stand its ground in the 
face of criticisms of its peculiarly cherished core cultural 
values, such sacredness of human life, respect for elders, 
cuisine, dressing, respect for the dead, communality, sense of 
kinship, songs, dances, games, agriculture, story-telling, 
proverbs, riddles, and languages, among others. 

6. Even in Africa, there are different cultures, and the scenario 
goes on even within a particular country, state, or local 
government. So, overemphasis on “Africanness”, as if Africa is 
simply a mono-cultural entity, should be avoided. Rather, there 

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