Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Cultural Consciousness and the Human Condition: Interdisciplinary Perspectives from Africa and Beyond
EDITORIAL FOREWORD
By Prof. Isaiah U. Ilo
Editor, Abuja Journal of Humanities
Faculty of Arts, University of Abuja, Nigeria
It is with great satisfaction and a deep sense of purpose that I present this edition of the Abuja Journal of Humanities (AJH)—Volume 6, Number 1 (2025)—titled “Cultural Consciousness and the Human Condition: Interdisciplinary Perspectives from Africa and Beyond.” The selection and publication of this volume emerge from a vision: to foreground rigorous, reflective, and original research that interrogates the shifting dynamics of identity, ethics, expression, and memory as they intersect with Africa’s past, present, and unfolding futures.
The twenty-four articles gathered in this issue span multiple domains—literature, philosophy, linguistics, media studies, theology, cultural studies, and disability theory. Despite their disciplinary variety, the contributions are unified by a shared concern for understanding how human beings across contexts construct meaning, assert agency, respond to marginalisation, and negotiate belonging. From the subtleties of linguistic variation in post-conflict zones to the decolonial aesthetics of African drama; from the gendered body as a site of cultural resistance to the philosophical implications of transhumanist ideologies—this volume traverses vast terrain while remaining anchored in the African scholarly experience.
The journal’s contributors engage critically not only with traditional academic canons but with everyday cultural practices, grassroots narratives, and alternative epistemologies that continue to shape African societies. The issue reflects an intentional disruption of the Eurocentric gaze that too often distorts African intellectual contributions. Instead, the articles embody a situated and dignified voice—asserting African thought as central rather than peripheral to global scholarly conversations.
This volume also marks a significant moment in AJH’s history. It signals our editorial commitment to promoting interdisciplinary scholarship that is bold in scope, inclusive in vision, and ethically grounded. As the humanities grapple with the demands of a rapidly evolving world, the need for scholarly inquiry that is critically alert to context, complexity, and cultural specificity becomes ever more urgent.
May this issue inspire further reflection, debate, and research. More importantly, may it reaffirm our shared commitment to the humanities as a transformative force—one capable of healing, remembering, imagining, and reconstructing the world through knowledge.