African Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Challenges and Opportunities

African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) have already claimed their credibility as sources of knowledge which can be applied in the fi eld with tangible results; yet there remains a host of inherent and external challenges in the way of their being embraced as independent, alternative or complementary sources of knowledge. There is an immediate need for the protection of AIKS and for the further development of research methods and techniques. The involvement of local communities as custodians of knowledge and a resourceful reference is equally important. One of the future goals of AIKS is to claim a space of fraternal co-existence with other sourcesof knowledge. Universities in Africa should create an enabling environment inwhich all knowledge systems articulate their concepts and claim their space.