Adult education efforts in Africa are dominated by Western models. One aspect of this domination is a presumption that Western models of adult development can be applied to African contexts. As perspectives on adult development affect adult education programmes, this presumption may negatively impact these programmes in Africa. This manuscript presents perspectives on human development drawn from the continent of Africa and compares these to a leading Western model of adult development proposed by Erikson. This comparison reveals significant differences in the two perspectives. Based on this conclusion I suggest that adult educators must discount Western models of adult development when considering adult education efforts in Africa and instead must proactively seek out Africentric perspectives. Several specific implications of adopting Africentric perspectives are suggested for adult educators.