Product details
Publisher : Pan-African University Press Copyright © 2026
ISBN: 978-1-943533-86-2
Table of Contents
DEDICATION V
LIST OF FIGURES IX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XIII
PREFACE XVII
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION 1
Chapter Two
HISTORICAL FRAMEWORKS 37
Chapter Three
THE MYTH OF A NONEXISTING IDENTITY 65
Chapter Four
COLONIAL ENCOUNTER AND THE CREATION OF AFRICANNESS 103
Chapter Five
THE LOST IDENTITY – CULTURAL AND EPISTEMIC DISPLACEMENT 143
Chapter Six
POSTCOLONIAL FRACTURES – AFRICAN IDENTITY AND THE QUEST FOR DECOLONIZATION 177
Chapter Seven
THE CRISIS OF THE IDENTITY DILEMMA 211
Chapter Eight
WHEN PEACE IS NOT JUST THE ABSENCE OF WAR: BUILDING EVERYDAY COEXISTENCE ON THE PLATEAU 243
Chapter Nine
THE QUEST FOR SELF-DEFINITION 281
Chapter Ten
THE FUTURE OF “AFRICAN IDENTITY” 315
Chapter Eleven
TOWARDS A DECOLONIAL HUMANISM 351
Chapter Twelve
MANAGING NIGERIA’S IDENTITIES FOR COLLECTIVE PROGRESS 381
Chapter Thirteen
THE ARCHITECTURE OF BELONGING 415
BIBLIOGRAPHY 461
INDEX 509
Book Description
In African Identities: Absence, Loss, and the Quest for Self-Definition, Toyin Falola offers a nuanced, historically grounded exploration of African identities, showing that they are neither fixed nor primordial but are dynamically constructed through layers of history, culture, and political negotiation. The volume brings together interdisciplinary perspectives to show how identity emerges from interactions among local loyalties, colonial boundaries, diaspora experiences, and modern state formations, revealing tensions between communal belonging and broader ethnic or national consciousness. By weaving together narratives of the past and present, the book illuminates how African identities are continually reshaped by power, migration, and global encounters, making it a compelling intervention in debates about ethnicity, nationalism, and the politics of identity in Africa and its diaspora.
About the Author
Toyin Falola is among Africa's most prolific and influential historians, widely recognized for his expansive scholarship in African history, Yoruba studies, diaspora studies, and global intellectual history. He holds the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has trained generations of scholars and shaped the direction of African Studies worldwide. With an extraordinary body of work comprising hundreds of books and articles, Falola's research spans precolonial Africa, colonial and postcolonial transformations, religion, culture, and the African diaspora. His writings, including acclaimed memoirs such as A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt, blend rigorous scholarship with literary depth, reflecting his commitment to bridging academic and public intellectual life. A recipient of numerous international honors and twenty-eight honorary doctorates, Falola remains a leading voice in advancing African-centered knowledge and global conversations on history, identity, and decolonization.
