A Professor of Philosophy at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Solomon Akinyemi Laleye, has identified the erosion of moral values as the root cause of Africa’s developmental challenges.
He called for a collective return to ethical responsibility across families, schools, and governance structures to pave the way for a morally upright and development-driven society.
Prof. Laleye made the call while delivering the university’s 41st Inaugural Lecture on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The lecture, titled “The Ethics of Complementarity and the Third Face of the Coin: An Indispensable Route to Integral Human Development,” emphasized the urgent need for moral revival as the foundation for sustainable progress on the continent.
According to him, Africa’s path to integral human development is inseparable from the restoration of its moral fabric.
He introduced the concept of the "third face of the coin"—a philosophical perspective that transcends binary thinking to achieve balance and deeper understanding—arguing that this approach, along with the ethics of complementarity, offers a practical route to holistic development.
“The family remains the first and most important institution for moral upbringing,” he noted.
“At the early stage of life, a child’s mind is a blank slate, open to the shaping of values. Parents must actively nurture virtues like honesty, empathy, and responsibility in their children.”
He further identified the school as a vital pillar in moral formation, calling for a reorientation of the educational system to integrate ethical instruction with academic learning.
“Education must go beyond intellectual training to develop moral consciousness. Ethical values should be embedded in school curricula to cultivate a culture of integrity and respect,” he said.
Highlighting the role of institutions, Prof. Laleye urged for the strengthening of the judicial system and other governance structures to uphold justice and ethical accountability.
He stressed that for any meaningful development to occur, public institutions must operate with fairness and transparency, and those who breach ethical standards must be held accountable.
He warned that technological and economic advancement without a moral compass may lead to societal harm, using the myth of Daedalus and Icarus as an allegory.
“Innovation must be guided by responsibility and moderation, or else it may bring about unintended consequences,” he said.
He also emphasized the need to align justice with peace, advocating a vision of development that balances individual ambitions with communal well-being.
“The third face of the coin invites us to think beyond oppositions and consider solutions that unite creativity with wisdom,” he explained.
Prof. Laleye reflected on the traditional African value system, noting that pre-colonial societies emphasized duty ethics over individual rights.
He cited respect for elders, communal labor, environmental care, and collective conflict resolution as values that once upheld social harmony.
He argued that the decline of these values is partly to blame for Africa’s contemporary struggles.
To address this, he proposed a reintegration of African duty ethics into modern life through the promotion of cultural philosophies like Ubuntu and Omolúàbí, the inclusion of moral education in school curricula, encouragement of community service, inter-generational dialogue, and leadership anchored in responsibility rather than self-interest.
Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of AAUA, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, commended Prof. Laleye for his scholarly contribution.
“Today, we honour a distinguished academic whose work reflects deep intellectual insight and unwavering commitment to the growth of this University and the broader society,” he said.
