Visual Culture and Medical Humanities: A Decolonial Case Study of Arts–Medicine Integration at the University of Benin

Medical education in Africa has long been shaped by colonial legacies that privileged technical expertise while marginalizing indigenous healing practices and cultural frameworks. This paper presents a decolonial case study of arts–medicine integration at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Nigeria. Drawing on a questionnaire-based survey administered to 64 respondents—6 medical staff and students (Anatomy, Physiotherapy, Medicine, Biochemistry) and 56 fine and applied arts staff and students—the study provides the first empirical evidence of stakeholder perceptions at UNIBEN. Medical respondents overwhelmingly affirmed that learning visual observation skills can improve patient observation (6/6 agreed or strongly agreed) and that integrating visual arts into medical education strengthens empathy alongside diagnostic accuracy (5/6 agreed or strongly agreed). Meanwhile, fine arts respondents articulated a sophisticated decolonial rationale rooted in Benin/Edo aesthetic traditions, positioning indigenous bronze casting and ivory carving as natural bridges to anatomy teaching and culturally competent care. Both groups identified curriculum saturation, lack of institutional collaboration, and epistemological hierarchies as principal barriers. The analysis situates these findings within broader debates on decolonial pedagogy and medical humanities, using Achebe, Ngũgĩ, Wiredu, Okere, Oyewumi, and Zeleza to argue that UNIBEN’s institutional shifts—from Creative Arts to Arts to Environmental Sciences—constitute deliberate acts of epistemic disobedience. The study concludes that embedding visual culture into medical education is achievable, scalable, and positions Nigeria as a leader in global medical humanities.