The Role of the Educated in the Decolonisation of Africa

In beginning of the twentieth century, the European powers that colonised West African states started to experience new threats to their colonial dominion.. By the middle of the century the strong grip Europe once held on West Africa had weakened considerably. These states were now in the process of decolonisation. External and internal forces had exerted considerable pressure on Europe's control of these territories and eventually were responsible for the collapse of colonial control in West Africa.

The 1st world war was probably

the first international occurrence which helped to question the colonial control of territories in West Africa.This question was not only asked internationally but also within Europe itself . Pearce commenting on this, said, "There was in intellectual circle a wholesale attack on all a priori values and increase in pessimism,introspection and fatalism. No Longer could Britiain's cultural superiority be taken for granted. Decolonisation may be seen as a product of Britain's cultural outlook in this century."