The General History of Africa (GHA), launched by UNESCO in 1964, is a landmark initiative aimed at telling Africa’s history from an African perspective. For centuries, the continent’s historical narrative had been shaped largely by external viewpoints, often reflecting biased or incomplete accounts. The GHA seeks to correct this imbalance by reconstructing Africa’s rich and diverse past through African voices, research, and knowledge systems. Over the years, more than 550 African and international experts contributed to a comprehensive corpus of research, resulting in the publication of eleven volumes.
Beyond its scholarly significance, the GHA serves as a vital educational resource. UNESCO has developed practical tools and engaged with education stakeholders at regional and national levels to help mainstream the GHA into formal, non-formal, and informal learning settings. Integrating the GHA into education systems is essential to fostering pride in African heritage, correcting historical injustices, challenging Eurocentric and colonial perspectives, and building respect for Africa’s contributions to humanity. It also supports social cohesion, intercultural understanding, and global citizenship.
To support countries in adopting the GHA in their education systems, UNESCO provides tailored guidance and capacity-building workshops. These workshops bring together policymakers, curriculum developers, pedagogical advisers, and teacher trainers to assess the current state of history education, evaluate the integration of African history into curricula, and explore context-specific approaches to teaching the GHA. Outcomes include the development of national action plans and the creation of collaborative networks for sharing best practices.
UNESCO has also developed a resource pack to facilitate teaching and learning the GHA. The pack includes a curriculum pathway designed to help ministries of education integrate the GHA into all forms of learning. It provides structured outlines for basic and secondary education across nine thematic learning units, spanning from the origins of humanity and early civilizations to Africa’s most recent history, offering a comprehensive guide to embed African historical perspectives across educational systems.
