African Philosophy and Playwriting: Reflections on Ahmed Yerima’s Abobaku.

Abstract

The concept of philosophy is such that it not only permeates but also holds sway over diverse areas of human life as much as it commands pertinence in every academic discipline. This also holds sway in playwriting, especially in the African context. However, the cognition of playwriting principles and African philosophical exploration are often scrapped. Therefore, This study looks into the concept of philosophy in generic terms and among Africans. Although it paraphrases the controversy on the existence of African philosophy, it also extrapolates playwriting principles for making a good play and the reflection of African philosophies in African plays. Using the analytic method, it analyses Ahmed Yerima’s Abobaku as a paradigm for this study. It concludes on the importance of paying cognizance to the culture, philosophy, and history of a people as useful substances for playwriting.