ABSTRACT

This study undertook a critical appraisal of the indigenous philosophical thought systems of the Annang people of Nigeria, focusing on three interrelated dimensions which are the ontological, epistemological and ethical. The motive behind the study lies in the growing need to recognize and validate African indigenous knowledge systems within global philosophical discourse. The study investigated the Annang worldview uncovering how existence (ontology), knowledge (epistemology), and moral conduct (ethics) are conceived, transmitted, and practiced within the community. Examined from the Afrocentric and decolonial theoretical frameworks, particularly Sage Philosophy and Ethnophilosophy, the study explored oral traditions, proverbs, ritual practices, and communal norms using a literature-based methodology supported by qualitative ethnographic sources. The central questions interrogated is how the Annang define being and reality, how knowledge is acquired and validated, and how moral values are grounded in cosmological and social structures. The findings revealed a holistic and relational ontological view, an experiential and communal epistemic model, and a deeply intersubjective ethical system grounded in the principle of ' ubok muum ubok muum' (helping hand) and 'mmaka mbono' (peaceful coexistence). The study concluded that Annang indigenous thought offers a coherent, context-specific philosophical system that challenges dominant Western paradigms while recommending further engagements with African indigenous systems to enrich global conversations on knowledge, morality, and reality.