Neo-colonialism and Africa’s Development: A Critical Review

Abstract

This research work accessed Nkrumah’s thought on neo-colonialism and Africa’s development. The broad objective of the study is to develop a framework for the complete liberation of Africa from the negative impacts of neo-colonial powers in the socio-economic and political spheres of the region. This study is set to provide answers to such questions like: How has neo-colonialism impacted on Africa’s development? How can African continent be liberated from neo-colonial influences in order to achieve its economic and political independence?  The study adopted the secondary source of data collection in answering the above questions. The dependency theory was adopted as its framework of analysis. The study found amongst others that: African continent are still under the shackles of neo-colonialism because in most cases, the major political economy and socio-cultural ideas, belief, norms, values, practices, structures and institutions introduced by the respective colonial imperialist powers were not dismantled after their independence. The study concluded that, for Africa to overcome the problems of neo-colonialism and its instruments, in order to gain complete economic and political independence, they should fight and struggle against the external forces which have a vested interest in keeping them underdeveloped. This study therefore, recommended amongst others that, all the ideas, belief, norms, values, practices, structures and institutions introduced by the respective colonial imperialist powers in Africa before independence, should be dismantled since the colonial days is over in Africa.

Keywords: Neocolonialism, colonialism, liberation, freedom, underdevelopment

DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-10-08

Publication date:October 31^st 2020