The Holberg Prize has named Cameroonian Scholar Professor Achille Mbembe as a recipient of its awards for 2024.
In monetary terms, the prize is valued at about $575,000 is administered by the University of Bergen, on behalf of the Norwegian government. It is awarded to academics who have made noteworthy contributions in the fields of humanities, social sciences, or theology.
The announcement was made on March 14 by The Holberg Prize organisation. It praised Prof Mbembe for his ground-breaking research in African history, postcolonial studies, humanities and social science.
Mbembe, 67, is a political theorist currently at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is one of the most-read and most-cited academics in Africa.
Speaking in an interview after his award, the don said: “I see Africa as both the world’s ‘reserve power’ and the world’s ‘power reservoir,’ a power storehouse for the future”.
He has fearlessly spoken out against the mishandling of the Anglophone crisis by the government, signifying a commitment to social justice and political responsibility.
He currently serves as a lecturer of philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand. Prof Mbembe’s scholarship has resonated globally, shaping discourse on colonial legacies, power dynamics and the future of African nations.
The Holberg Prize ceremony is scheduled to hold on June 6 at the University of Bergen in Norway. Prof Achille Mbembe is expected to be formally decorated for his exceptional contributions to academia and society at large.
