This introductory chapter to the book examines the complex transformation of colonial power structures in African education systems following independence, revealing how colonialism was effectively replaced by neocolonial forces driven by neoliberal ideologies. The analysis begins by critically examining how multinational corporations and international financial institutions, particularly the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, continue to exert significant influence over curriculum development across African nations. Through this lens, the chapter illuminates how these institutions perpetuate epistemic injustice by privileging Western knowledge systems while marginalizing African ways of knowing. The discussion then shifts to explore various African educational autonomy movements and decolonial initiatives that seek to dismantle neoliberal and neocolonial influences in African curriculum landscapes. Building on this foundation, the chapter advocates for the reclamation of African knowledges by rehabilitating the work of “dustbin thinkers”—African intellectuals and knowledge systems historically dismissed or devalued by colonial powers. This reconceptualization provides a framework for understanding subsequent chapters and establishes the book’s central argument for epistemic justice through the decolonization of African education systems.